Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
The Benue State Police Command at the weekend paraded 15 crime suspects who were arrested in connection with allegations of armed robbery, kidnapping and drug peddling.
Commissioner of Police Fatai Owoseni, speaking with newsmen while parading the crime suspects at the Police Headquarters in Makurdi, disclosed that several items – including cut to size pistols, locally fabricated sophisticated weapons, military uniforms and gadgets as well as boxes of drugs suspected to be tramadol – were recovered from the crime suspects.
Owoseni said the police in collaboration with officers of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) apprehended two suspects with a J5 bus loaded with boxes of drugs suspected to be tramadol.
“The collaboration between the police and NDLEA had paid off as a J5 was transporting prohibited drugs. NDLEA officials collaborated with police and apprehended drug boxes containing tramadol. Two suspects were arrested and they have made useful statements,” Owoseni said.
He said the police, after getting information that a suspect was in possession of a rifle, obtained a search warrant, went to his house but were prevented by his father and siblings from searching his house, giving him the opportunity to escape through the ceiling.
“When police reinforced and visited the place again, he had escaped through the ceiling but a bag containing military uniform and other military gadgets were recovered,” said the Commissioner.
Also in police custody is an elderly man whose name was given as Alhaji Omonyan Ameh who, allegedly, kidnapped a 16-year-old girl 28 years ago, forcefully raped her and got her pregnant after which he made her his wife without the knowledge or consent of her family.
The state police boss, who disclosed that the elderly man was arrested for kidnapping and rape of a female Cameroonian since 1990, informed that the woman had at that time come to write JAMB in Calabar, Nigeria, when the old man used a means not known by law to put her in the family way.
He said since then the lady, who already had two grown-up children for the elderly man, could not go back to her country until a good Nigerian she confided in made efforts and reunited her with her family in Cameroon.