Benue Police Command arrests 708 suspected criminals in one year

The Benue Police Command says it has arrested 708 persons suspected to have committed various crimes in the last year.

Its Commissioner, Bashir Makama, made the disclosure on Wednesday in Makurdi, during a two-day stakeholders meeting organised by the command to boost security consciousness in the state.

He said that 409 of them had been arraigned, while the command was still determining the level of involvement of other suspects in respect of crimes over which they were arrested, before deciding on the next line of action.

The commissioner listed some of the crimes to include armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, gun manufacturing and culpable homicide.

Others included cattle rustling, communal violence, currency counterfeiting and clashes between farmers and herdsmen.

Makama commended the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, for permitting Police Commissioners to hold periodic stakeholders meeting with eminent personalities in their areas, saying that the measures was boosting mutual confidence.

“The meetings create the needed platform for an interaction and the sharing of ideas between security agents and the communities they are expected to protect,” he said.

He expressed satisfaction at the quality of personalities at the meetings, saying that the quality of contributions would help the command to arrest criminals and rid Benue of unwanted elements.

Makama advised the Benue government to establish pilot ranches in the three senatorial districts, to ensure effective enforcement of the anti-grazing law.

“The pilot ranches will provide an abode for arrested cattle; it will provide a secured shelter for animals awaiting prosecution,” he said.

The meeting drew participants from the 23 Local Government Areas of Benue.