Kumaor Fachir, a wanted bandit and second-in-command to late Terwase Agwaza, also known as Gana, has been arrested.
The news was broken to newsmen on Tuesday by the Commissioner, Benue State Police Command, Bartholomew Onyeka.
According to Onyeka, operatives of the Joint Security Task Force Tactical Team of the Benue State Police Command, code-named Operation Zenda, effected the arrest of Fachir.
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Arrested alongside Fachir were his gun manufacturer and three others in Adikpo area of Kwande Local Government Area of the state.
The JTF also recovered various calibre of firearms, uncompleted fabricated rifles, live ammunition, cartridges and magazines from the gang.
CP Onyeka, who briefed newsmen on Tuesday at the Command Headquarters in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, where he paraded the suspects, said he was involved in the operation.
He said: “In that case I am leading this onslaught myself because I am a field Police Commissioner.
“I am not the type who sits in the office.
“I am always out there in the field.
“So all those who will not allow Benue people sleep with their two eyes closed should pack and leave the state because there will be no room for criminals in the state.
“We will smoke them out no matter where they hide.
“It is in one of the operations on August 14, at about 3:40am that officers from Operation Zenda JTF Tactical team trailed and arrested a dreaded and vicious armed bandit kingpin named Kumaor Fachir, popularly known as Second-in-Command to late Gana, along Adikpo-Ugbema Road.
“Further investigation led to the arrest of four other gang members named Iorwuese Ashiekaa, Aondongu Aligbe, Terkula Wuhe aka Oryughurt and one Terhemba Sevav a 47-year-old member of the gang from Adikpo, Kwande LGA who specialised in fixing and manufacturing rifles for the gang.
“Items recovered from them includes two AK-47 rifles, two other fabricated AK-47 rifles, two Berretta pistols undergoing the process of fabrication, one double barrel gun loaded with 35 live cartridges, 130 rounds of 7.62X 39mm live ammunition while other suspect escaped from the scene.”