Benue Police Commissioner Cletus Nwadiogbu details a wave of operational successes: 18 kidnap victims rescued, 20 suspects arrested, three AK-47s recovered, and a stolen newborn returned safely.
Makurdi, Benue State — September 9, 2026
The Benue State Police Command has rescued 18 kidnapped victims, arrested 20 suspects, and recovered three AK-47 rifles and other weapons through a series of intelligence-led operations conducted across the state over the past month, Commissioner of Police Cletus Nwadiogbu disclosed at a press briefing at the command's Makurdi headquarters.
Nwadiogbu said one of the command's major breakthroughs was the rescue of 13 people abducted along the Otukpo-Adoka Road on August 14, a case this outlet previously covered. Tactical teams engaged suspected armed bandits at Amla-Icho Forest on August 16, neutralising one suspect and recovering an AK-47 rifle and ammunition.
Police operations in Tse-Udi community and the Ayilamo axis of Logo LGA on August 11 led to the neutralisation of two armed suspects and the recovery of two AK-47 rifles. A further operation in Ayilamo on August 26, responding to reports of armed bandits pursuing farmers and destroying crops, resulted in the death of another suspect and the recovery of an additional AK-47 rifle.
The command also foiled an armed robbery attempt at Ayati village in Gwer East LGA on August 9, forcing the suspects to flee and abandon a locally fabricated revolver and live cartridges.
In a separate case, police recovered a one-day-old baby allegedly stolen shortly after delivery in Gboko on August 12, following an intelligence-driven investigation, a case this outlet also covered as it unfolded.
Nwadiogbu disclosed that five of the 20 suspects arrested were linked to a vehicle and motorcycle theft syndicate. Investigations traced the ring from Gboko to Dan-Anacha in Gassol LGA, Taraba State, where detectives recovered two Bajaj motorcycles and a Toyota Corolla.
Recovered items across the operations included three AK-47 rifles, 33 rounds of ammunition, two motorcycles, the Toyota Corolla, several locally fabricated firearms, and suspected criminal charms.
Nwadiogbu warned criminals involved in the illegal possession and trafficking of firearms that Benue State would not serve as a safe haven for criminal activity, and urged residents to remain vigilant and provide credible information to police.
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