The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has paraded eleven suspects arrested within Benue and Taraba States, and recovered ten AK47 rifles and other firearms and ammunition.
Police spokesman ACP Jimoh Moshood in a statement on Tuesday said the arrest was possible because of renewed strategies by the IGP Intelligence Response Team and the Police Special Forces deployed to the region.
He said some of the suspects confessed to have been responsible for supply of AK47 rifles and other firearms and ammunition to armed bandits, militias, and criminal herdsmen/farmers in Benue and Taraba States.
Moshood said the first suspect, Morris Ashwe, confessed and admitted to have been supplying firearms and ammunition to the notorious and most wanted vicious and notorious gang leader of militia, murderers and kidnappers Terwase Akwaza aka Ghana.
Ghana had been declared wanted by the Nigeria Police Force for the killings of several persons and destruction of properties worth millions of Naira, at Zaki Biam in Benue State on 20th March, 2017.
He is also wanted for Culpable Homicide, Mischief by Fire and Criminal Conspiracy and the killing of Mr. Deneen Igbana (late), Special Adviser on Security to the Governor of Benue State.
Moshood said three other suspects: Kabiru Idris, Miracle Emmanuel and Husseini Safiyanu were arrested in Taraba State and in their possession 5 AK47 rifles, Thirteen AK47 Magazines, Eighty Three Rounds of AK47 ammunition were recovered.
He said they confessed to have been supplying AK47 rifles and other firearms and ammunition to militia groups, armed bandits and other criminals in Taraba and Benue States.
He said they admitted to have been attacking and killing innocent people in villages in Taraba and Benue States.
He further said the other 7 suspected kidnappers were arrested in the act of movement to kidnap a prominent person in Makurdi, Benue State.
He said the arrest was made possible from intelligence gathered by the IGP Intelligence Response Team, adding that 2 Beretta Pistols were recovered from them.
He said they confessed to have been responsible for several kidnappings in Benue, Taraba and some part of Nasarawa State in the recent past.
He also noted that the deployment of additional fifteen Police Mobile Force units to augment the strength of the Benue State Police Command has beefed-up security in the state and help in sustaining the peace that have been restored to the state.