Military rescues corps member, six others from kidnappers den in Benue
…As Victims call on govt to intensify security measures, checkmate activities of transport companies
By Titus Atondu, Makurdi
A joint Military operations under the aegis of 401 Special Forces Brigade/Sector One Operation Whirl Stroke have rescued one Mr. Samuel Muekara, 29 years old, a Youth Corp member and a lawyer by profession with six other persons at Tse – Annaka, along Wukari/Zaki-Biam ,Torov council ward in Ukum local government area of Benue State.
The six other persons who were also rescued by the Military are; Mr. Anaelechi Bob 32 years old, Ayuba Luka, 28 years old, Ibrahim Umar, 30 years old, Rabiu Muhammad 48 years old, Buhari Ahmadu Saleh 17 years old and Blessing Ayuba 47 years old respectively.
Our Correspondent reports that the 7 rescued victims were kidnapped along Zaki -Biam to Wukari at different dates and time and in different vehicles.
The commander of the troops who spoke with our correspondent on condition of annonimity disclosed that those bandits terrorizing the Sankara axis with such criminal acts are known as Full Fire, Ayongo, Chen and others all of the late notorious criminal kingpin in Benue Terwase Akwaza also known as Gana.”
These notorious armed bandits are well known by the people living in those areas and any attempt to get information from them, they claimed not to know where as in the real sense they know.
The Commander further explained that security is a collective efforts from all and sundry and urged the communities to always avail the security operatives with the necessary information that would help them fish out the perpetrators of criminality among them.
The rescued victims while fielding questions from our correspondent at the military camp in Zaki – Biam, Ukum local government area where they are taking refuge disclosed that the Tse – Annaka where they were kidnapped and kept for hostage for days before the intervention of the Army, other neighboring settlement like Chito village, Adamawa village, Atereyange village, Ututu village and Pevkyaa village all of Ukum local government area are residents of these heavily armed bandits who have turned these communities as their hideouts.
They further explained that these armed bandits have made kidnapping in these communities as their major source of economy that they do even in a broad day light without fear.
“These armed bandits are living with their families who usually come to give us food in their hideout, People living around see them perpetrate this evil but are helpless to voice it out for the fear of their lives,” a rescued victim explained.
They also told our correspondent that Rabiu Muhammad who came to pay ransom for his cousin Ibrahim Umar became a kidnapped victims after paying the ransom undergo serious beating before he was kidnapped.
Blessing Ayuba who also came to pay ransom for her son, Luka Ayuba turned to a kidnapped victims after paying the ransom, Samuel the Corper Lawyer having heard and seen the threats utterances by the kidnappers in their den took on his heels for his life but was later apprehended and subjected to several maltreatment by the armed bandits.
Ransoms paid by family members of the 7 kidnapped victims was over N20 million with other valuables worth millions of naira were forcefully taken away from them.
The kidnapped victims called for the promotion of the military officers who rescued them from the wicked hands of the kidnappers , they also called for the Federal and State government to intensify security surveillance particularly in Ukum communities along Zaki -Biam, Wukari to checkmate and curtail activities of these criminal armed bandits for the protection of life and property of citizens traveling on that route as well ensure that security agencies beam their searchligt on these affected communities in order to clamp down on the armed bandits to face the wrath of the law to serve as deterrent to others who have the intention of venturing into.
They also called on the federal and State government to devise ways of checkmating activities of transport companies operating in the country during odd hours who always fail to report kidnapped cases to the appropriate quarters.
