The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Katsina-Ala

  • Troops killed herdsmen in Benue operation

    The Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke, Major General Adeyemi Yekini (OPWS) said that troops have killed over 10 armed herdsmen along Gbajimba-Akor-Tomata axis of Guma Local Government area of Benue

    The commander also confirmed that one soldier was killed and two others injured when herdsmen engaged the troops along Gbajimba-Akor-Tomata last Saturday.

    Briefing news in Makurdi, Gen. Yekini  said that the number of casualties among the herdsmen during the initial encounter could not be ascertained, noted that while the fighting was going on a Mi35 helicopter that was scrambled to provide air support for the troops sighted the armed herdsmen on motorcycles.

    “During the firefight, the Mi35 spotted a group of about 20 armed herdsmen riding on motorcycles moving along the axis towards Nasarawa State.

    15 of the armed herdsmen on five motorcycles were neutralized with rocket fire from the Mi35 while others escaped with various degrees of injury.

    “Our troops chased remaining herdsmen until contact was broken close to the boundary between Nasarawa and Benue State.

    Plans are in progress to conduct further clearance operations of the border areas between the two states,” Yekini said.

    General Yekini who said that another operation was carried out last Saturday in Katsina Ala area which suggested that Benue most wanted terrorist, Terwase Akwasa must have been killed.

    Read Also: NSE proffers solution to herdsmen killings

    “The raid operation which took place at Tse Akwaza camp belonging to Gana in Kastina-Ala commenced at about 0500hours on 18th August, 2018 through JatoAka-Kashimbila-Tyotsar axis but was suspended due to bad terrain and damaged bridge at Tyotsar which troops could not cross due to flooding.

    “It was not clear if Gana was killed during the assault, but trail of blood seen in the building suspected to be where he slept suggests he might have been hit.

    “A motor cycle usually used by Gana was also badly damaged during the air strike, many sacks of substance suspected to be Indian hemp were recovered and burnt”, General Yekini said.

  • UMTE : JAMB assures candidates of hitch-free exams in Benue

    UMTE : JAMB assures candidates of hitch-free exams in Benue

    Mr Oise Ofala, the Benue Coordinator of Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB), has assured candidates writing the Unified Tertiary Examinations (UMTE) in the state of hitch-free examination.

    Ofala tod the Newsmen on Friday in Makurdi that JAMB staff involved in the examination as well as security personnel detailed to monitor the exercise had been assigned to the centres.

    He said the Computer Based Test (CBT) would be conducted in 12 centres spread across the three Senatorial districts of the state.

    The coordinator said that two security personnel had been assigned to each centre and assured that the back-up coverage would accommodate any computer challenge during the examination.

    Read Also: UTME 2018: JAMB vows to fight malpractice, cautions against fraudsters

    “We are 100 per cent ready and prepared for the examination; two security personnel are assigned to every centre. We are not relying on public power supply as we have our generators.

    ” Every centre has the capacity to carry 250 candidates per session and some centres can carry up to three sessions per day,” he said.

    He, however, declined to mention the number of candidates writing the examination in the state.

    ” I do not have that statistics; the whole thing was done before my arrival. As you can see, I just took over as the state coordinator,” he said.

    Newsmen Report that the examination will be conducted in Makurdi, Gboko, Katsina-Ala, Oju and Otukpo.

    NAN

  • Police in Enugu arrest car-snatching, robbery suspect

    Police in Enugu arrest car-snatching, robbery suspect

    The Police in Enugu State say they have arrested a car-snatching and robbery suspect alleged to have been operating in Enugu and Benue states for many years.

    Spokesman of the Police Command in the state, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, said in a statement on Tuesday that the suspect was apprehended on June 18 at about 8:30 in the morning at Obolloafor in Udenu Local Government Area of the state.

    Amaraizu added that the suspect was arrested by police operatives of the Safer Highways Unit while on patrol.

    According to the spokesman, the suspect has identified himself as Solomon Aondo from Katsina Ala in Benue, but is residing in Markurdi.

    “The suspect was nabbed following intelligence gathered about him and his gang members’ nefarious activities ranging from allegedly dispossessing the owner of a Toyota Highlander jeep of his property at gunpoint in his compound located at High level quarters Markurdi on June 18 by 3a.m.

    “It was gathered that the suspect later dropped off some of his gang members and started heading down towards Enugu before the operatives, acting on the intelligence, nabbed him.”

    Amaraizu further said the suspect had since been helping police operatives in their preliminary investigations in relation to his gang’s activities.

    He also said a green-coloured Toyota Highlander Jeep with registration number GBG 44 AA, was recovered from him.

  • Police smash kidnap gang in Benue

    Police smash kidnap gang in Benue

    Benue State Police Command has busted two kidnap syndicates in Makurdi and Katsina-Ala including a gang of four allegedly led by a woman believed to be an associate of the wanted militant leader, Terwase Agwaza, also known as Gana , who a week ago abducted a Katsina/Ala-based businessman.

    The police operation also led to the arrest of three women whose responsibilities were to provide food for the victims, who was rescued alive.

    The arrest is coming few days after Governor Samuel Ortom assented to the anti-kidnapping bill, which prescribed death penalty for offenders.

    Parading the suspects  at the Command Headquarters in Makurdi, the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Bashir Makama, said the businessman was kidnapped alongside his son, who was later released to source N20 million as ransom for his father.

    Makama said: “We tracked them from intercepts; that case gave us sleepless nights, but we got them in their hideout after a gun battle at Abaji in Katsina/Ala and the notorious criminal, Bem Uga, alias Jugas Jnr , and one Oraondo, alias Bishop , were also nabbed without any ransom paid for the releases of the victim, who was rescued alive.

    “During investigations, we discovered that the lady, who was arrested, had the responsibility of penciling down those to be kidnapped and those to be killed by the gang.

    “They are all associates of Gana, the wanted militant leader. Among them is the driver of Gana’s wife, Queen. They are all giving us useful information.

    “Also arrested, after reliable information, is one Victor Ayanngor, who conspired with Ordue Abraham, Kelvin Dankor and Emmanuel Terver to kidnap his girlfriend and collect N200, 000 ransom.”