Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State Saturday received 78 motorcycles seized from violators of the ban placed on the movement of motorcycles in the Sankera area of the state by personnel of the Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) of the Nigerian Army.
The state government had on December 29, 2020, placed a ban on the movement of motorcycles in two (Katsina-Ala and Ukum) out of the three local government areas that make up Sankera, as measures to curtail criminal activities in the axis.
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As a result of the ban, security operatives were mandated to seize erring motorcycles and prosecute the owners.
Ortom, who received the seized items through his special adviser on security, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Hemba (retd), from the commander of the OPWS, Major-General Adeyemi Yekini, said the ban became necessary as bandits used motorcycles to perpetrate crime in the area.
He gave instance with the recent killing of five persons on Christmas Eve at the home of the Katsina-Ala Local Government chairman by three bandits who rode on motorbikes and zoomed off after accomplishing their evil mission.
The governor, however, debunked rumours that soldiers of the OPWS were responsible for burning seized motorcycles.
He stressed that the isolated incident, which allegedly happened in the area few days ago, was a mere propaganda by the bandits to discredit the soldiers.
