Operatives of the Benue State Police Command have apprehended a suspected kidnapping and armed robbery kingpin believed to be linked to a string of criminal incidents in Gboko Local Government Area.

According to security sources, the suspect was arrested around 1:00 p.m. on June 8 after intelligence reports indicated he had been spotted in the Abagu area of Gboko.

Acting swiftly on the tip-off, police operatives stormed the location and successfully took the suspect into custody without resistance.

Items recovered from him during the operation included a locally made short gun, five live cartridges, and various charms, sources revealed.

Trouble, however, erupted while officers were transporting the suspect to the station, as an irate crowd allegedly intercepted the police team and attempted to carry out mob justice.

The residents reportedly attacked the suspect before security personnel intervened, rescued him from the mob, and restored calm to the area.

The suspect sustained injuries during the assault and was immediately taken to the General Hospital in Gboko, where he is currently receiving treatment.

Police authorities said investigations are ongoing to ascertain the suspect’s alleged role in kidnapping, armed robbery, and other criminal activities within the locality.

The command added that efforts are being intensified to track down and arrest other members of the suspected gang.

It also reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that all criminal suspects are prosecuted through lawful procedures and urged residents to avoid taking the law into their own hands.

Operatives of the Benue State Police Command have successfully thwarted a suspected armed robbery operation and killed three alleged robbers during a fierce gunfight along the Vaase–Chito Road in Ukum Local Government Area.

Security sources said the incident occurred at about 2:48 a.m. on June 8 after the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Gbeji Division received reports that armed men believed to be bandits were attacking travelers and robbing them of their belongings on the route.

Following the intelligence, the DPO mobilised a patrol team alongside members of the Community Volunteer Guards and proceeded to the area.

According to the sources, the armed suspects opened fire immediately they sighted the approaching security operatives, triggering a gun battle.

The combined security team responded with superior firepower, leading to the neutralisation of three suspects. Some of the deceased were reportedly wearing military camouflage uniforms.

Several other members of the gang fled the scene on motorcycles, with security sources suspecting that some escaped with gunshot injuries.

During the operation, security operatives recovered one AK-47 rifle, 21 rounds of live ammunition, and a motorcycle.

The recovered items have been secured by the police as exhibits for further investigation.

The remains of the deceased suspects were later evacuated to the Gbeji Hospital Mortuary for post-mortem examination.

Police authorities disclosed that the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation, while efforts continue to track down and arrest the fleeing gang members.

The operation forms part of ongoing efforts by security agencies to tackle armed robbery, banditry, and other violent crimes across Benue State.

The Osun State Police Command has announced the arrest of three suspected cultists and political thugs, and the recovery of firearms, ammunition, charms and other dangerous weapons during separate operations in the state.

The command disclosed the arrests in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Gotan.

According to the statement, “the arrests were part of ongoing efforts by the police to ensure that Osun State remains a sanctuary for law-abiding residents and not a safe haven for criminal elements.”

The police identified the suspects as 27-year-old Adekola Olayinka Abdulazeez, 28-year-old Omolara Ezekiel, and 32-year-old Babatunde Azeez.

Items recovered from the suspects, the statement revealed, included “three English Beretta pistols, one live round of ammunition, one cut-to-size gun, two live cartridges, four cutlasses and three axes.”

The police said the operation began on “May 22, 2026, at about 10:00 a.m., when a patrol team attached to the Ikirun Area Command intercepted Abdulazeez while conducting a routine stop-and-search exercise.”

According to the command, “the suspect was riding an unregistered motorcycle when he was stopped and searched by officers. During the search, two English Beretta pistols, an axe and charms were allegedly recovered from him.

“The case was subsequently transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, where detectives attached to the Anti-Robbery Section commenced further investigations.”

Police said Abdulazeez allegedly confessed during interrogation that he was a member of the Eiye Confraternity and claimed that he was on his way to deliver the recovered arms and ammunition to another member, identified as Omolara Ezekiel, before his arrest.

The statement added that intelligence-led investigations later led to the arrest of Ezekiel and Babatunde Azeez, during which officers recovered a cut-to-size gun and another Beretta pistol loaded with one live round of ammunition.

The police further disclosed that “searches conducted at the suspects’ residences and surrounding premises resulted in the recovery of four cutlasses, two axes and two live cartridges.

“Investigations are continuing, while efforts are underway to apprehend other suspected members linked to the group.”

CP Gotan also warned political thugs, miscreants and other individuals who may be planning to disrupt public peace in the state to desist from such activities.

He reiterated the command’s commitment to working with relevant stakeholders to identify and eliminate criminal elements across Osun State.