Benue court remands 5 for kidnap, murder, rape, robbery.
A five man kidnap gang said to be terrorising commuters on the busy Otukpo-Enugu highway in military uniform have been remanded by a Makurdi Chief Magistrate Court.
The suspects who were nabbed by the Police were arraigned Tuesday for criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping, act of terrorism and rape.
The First Information Reports, FIR, before the court disclosed that the suspects on June 13, 2024 took over the Otukpo-Enugu Highway and robbed road users including two State Government owned Benue Links Transportation Company vehicles.
The gang in that operation allegedly killed the driver of one of the vehicles and took several passengers hostage as well as raped their female hostage.
According to the FIR, “men of the Divisional Police Headquarters led by Chief Superintendent, CS, Njoghul Terfa acted on a report from one Silas Onyilo that armed Fulani men had on the same date at about 4pm dressed in army uniform, blocked the Otukpo Federal Highway at Ojano village of Ohimini Local Government Area, LGA.
They robbed occupants of two Benue links commeraal buses of their phones, money and other valuables at gunpoint, shot and killed on the spot, one of the drivers Gabriel Okpale and moved over 20 passengers to Oglewu forest, held them hostage, raped one female passenger and collected the ransom of N18millon from them before releasing their victims.
“Consequent upon the information, the team swung into action and arrested five members of the notorious armed Fulani militia.
“During police investigation, the arrsested suspects were identified by their victims and they confessed committing the offences while others are still at large.”
At the mention of the case, the prosecutor, Inspector Godwin Ato told the court that investigation was still ongoing.
Ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Mr. Kelvin Mbanogun ordered that the suspects be remanded at Makurdi Correctional Center and adjourned the case to September 3, 2024 for further mention.
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