The Police in Benue State have rescued eight kidnapped victims in Orokam community of Ogbadigbo Local Government Area of the state.
State Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, who disclosed this on Friday during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters in Makurdi, said three suspected bandits were neutralised in another incident in Ukum LGA in the past one month.
Nwadiogbu also said that the command arrested 10 suspects linked to human trafficking, armed robbery, rape, gun-running, cultism and other crimes across the state in recent weeks.
The police commissioner explained that the rescue of the eight kidnapped victims followed a distress call on May 25 that armed men had abducted commuters around Adupi in Orokam, Ogbadibo LGA.
He said that a combined team of tactical police operatives, Mobile Police personnel and local vigilantes engaged the kidnappers in a gun duel, forcing them to abandon their captives and flee into nearby bushes.
He added that the victims were rescued unhurt without any ransom payment, while a locally fabricated gun and a military camouflage abandoned by the fleeing suspects were recovered.
Nwadiogbu also disclosed the arrest of a 40-year-old woman accused of trafficking two sisters from Naka in Gwer West to Ghana under the guise of securing jobs before allegedly selling them into prostitution.
He said the victims escaped after enduring sexual abuse and later reported the matter to the police, leading to the suspect’s arrest, while efforts were ongoing to apprehend other members of the trafficking syndicate.
He added that the three suspected bandits were killed during a gun battle with security operatives along Vaase-Chito Road in Gbeji, Ukum LGA, while an AK-47 rifle, 21 rounds of live ammunition and a motorcycle were recovered.
The police commissioner further disclosed that police arrested a woman suspected of abandoning her newborn twin babies at Branch Atser in Vandeikya LGA after rescuing the infants and placing them under medical care and supervision of the Social Welfare Unit.
