Troops arrest suspected cultists, cattle rustlers in Benue

Troops of 707 Special Forces Brigade conducting Exercise Ayem Akpatuma have on Sunday arrested five suspected cultists in Katsina Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.

Preliminary investigation conducted revealed that the suspects are students of the College of Education, Katsina Ala, who were about to be initiated as new members.

Troops were said to have acted on credible information followed by raid operations, which led to their arrest.


The suspects arrested are Dennis Victor Terfa, Emmanuel Daniel Akpagher, Akuse Jacob Aondongu, Kpo Isaac and Idika Kelechi.

Similarly, troops operating at Sector C of the same Exercise carried out cordon and search operations at Ukum Local Government Area, which also led to the arrest of gun runners and cattle rustlers.

Among the suspects arrested is a 55-year-old weapon instructor, Samuel Gaza, who is a member of the Livestock Guard.

Gaza confessed to have been rustling cows for over four years before he was recruited by the state government, while Jato Aontoseer, confessed that he is a gun runner.

Avaatyough Aontoseer is a weapon fabricator.

Items recovered were one Fabrique National rifle, three Fabrique National and AK 47 magazines, one locally made pistol, three dane guns, four mobile phones, one axe, military belt, lanyard, beret, charms and Indian hemp.