Slain soldiers: Benue gives up 4 officials for police questioning

The Benue State State Security Council on Monday handed over four people to the police for questioning in connection with the recent killing of 12 soldiers in Konshisha Local Government Area of the state by armed militia.

The four include the vice chairman of Konshisha LGA, Sam Kave, a Councillor, Tersoo Mela, clan head of Mbator,  Emmanuel Adegbenda and the district head of Iwuarayam, Unaha Koko.

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Governor Samuel Ortom who read the resolution reached by stakeholders during an expanded State Security Council meeting held at Government House in Makurdi, also informed that 10 weapons out of the 12 seized by the armed militia had been recovered and returned to the military.

He said that the four men handed over to the police for further interrogation were to assist in investigation that would ensure that those who committed the crime (killing of soldiers) are arrested and brought to book.

The governor flanked by two former federal legislators for Benue North East senatorial district, Senator Barnabas Gemade, Senator Joseph Akaagerger and House of Representatives Member for Vandeikya/Konshisha Federal constituency, also told newsmen that it was agreed at the meeting that he (Ortom) should lead a delegation to President Muhammadu Buhari to condole with him and the military over the sad incident.

“We haven’t slept in making sure to recover the arms. We have been able to do a lot of recovery. One AK-47 was earlier recovered by the military and eight others by the process we established by ourselves.

“Out of the 12 taking away by the bandits; we have recovered eight plus the one recovered by the military, it brings the number to nine. A machine gun has also been recovered. By our records, it remains three weapons to be recovered.

“We have handed over the Konshisha LG vice chairman to the police for interrogation in order to get others. We also handed over the Councillor, Tersoo Mela, Kindred head of Mbator, Chief Emmanuel Adegbenda have all been handed over to the police. Also District Head of Iwuarayam, Chief Unaha Koko. The four persons will provide useful information so that those who committed the crime will be arrested to avert the innocent people from bearing the cost of the crisis,” he added.

Ortom assured the Chief of Defence Staff that his government as well as stakeholders from the affected local government area are doing everything possible to ensure that all perpetrators of the crime are brought to justice.

The military had insisted that the killers of the 12 soldiers (on peacekeeping mission between Konshisha and Oju LGAs) on Monday, April 5, 2020 in Konshisha area of the state must be brought to justice.