Detectives attached to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT), have arrested 17 men in connection with the murder of some indigenes of Benue and Nasarawa states and nine policemen.
One of the suspects, Alhaji Laggi (40), is the alleged mastermind of the killings and acclaimed leader of the alleged killers. Police described him as head of the herdsmen group.
Others included Mallam Mumini Abdullahi (34), Muhammed Adamu (30) and Ibrahim Sule (32).
According to a police source, the downfall of the suspects started after the IG, Ibrahim Idris, instructed the IRT, headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), to fish out those involved in the Benue State killings.
The suspects were said to have been arrested at Tunga forest, Nasarawa State between February16 and 19. The suspects were also alleged to be behind the murder of Sergeant Solomon Dung and eight other police officers in Benue and Nasarawa states.
A police source said: “The suspects have confessed to the killings and mentioned names of gang members in possession of the police rifles, which they took from the slain police officers.”
It was learnt that serious follow up was in progress in Benue, Taraba and Benue states.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police, Joshak Habila, confirmed that 17 suspects were arrested in connection with the January 31, Gboko mayhem.
According to Habila, nine policemen were killed but no policeman is missing any longer as everyone deployed in the troubled areas returned either dead or alive.
He said: “As we speak, the IG deployed 15 units of Police Mobile Force, Special Forces who were trained in special ways outside the country. The intelligence platform and monitoring units of the IG were also deployed.
“You are aware that people resorted to setting houses ablaze and destroying communities and foodstuffs. Police deployed its men in communities under threat. We decided to plant men in communities and to respond to distress calls. Some mobile police officers ran into ambush and counter-ambush but rather than discourage us, we summoned courage and those who have been linked with the gruesome murder of these policemen have been rounded up.
According to him, the list of arrested suspects is swelling by the day.
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