Operatives of the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team have arrested two suspects for the kidnap of a Medical Doctor, Audu Benedict, his son and one of his associates in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area Benue State, while travelling from Taraba State to Abuja on March 10, 2019.
The suspects, Henry Terkula Gwa, 25, from Donga LGA of Benue State and Terhile Tsavbe, 30, from Gawa village, Katsina-ala LGA of Benue State, were arrested on June 6 and 11, 2020 following intense search for the victims and manhunt for the perpetrators by the Police team.
Investigations revealed that the criminal gang collected N7.5 million as ransom from the families of the victims as condition for their release.
The suspects forced the late Dr. Audu Benedict to issue them a cheque of N500,000, which they cashed in a commercial bank in Gboko town, Benue State.
After this, the suspects killed the three victims and had them buried in a shallow grave at Gawa in Katsina-ala LGA of Benue State.
While effort is being intensified to arrest other suspects still at large, the police team is on the verge of exhuming the remains of the slain victims.
In a similar development, the Police have arrested 25 other criminal suspects for their involvements in a varying cases of kidnapping, armed robbery and illegal possession of prohibited firearms currently under investigations.
The suspects are members of high-profile criminal gangs terrorising communities and major highways of the North Central and North West States of the country.
Exhibits recovered by the police team from the suspects included six AK47 rifles, three locally fabricated pump action guns, one locally fabricated pistol, two dane guns, 55 rounds of AK47 ammunition, four empty magazines, one laptop computer and one Toyota Corolla car with registration number MKD 13 RC.
All the suspects will be charged to court at the conclusion of investigations, the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, said in a statement on Monday.
Mba said the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, mni has assured that the battle against criminal elements in the country is a continuous one.
Adamu caled for all hands to be on deck towards decisive victory and reclaiming of the public space from criminal elements.