Thursday, July 4, 2024 -The Benue State Police Command has arrested 18 suspects in connection with the violent protest that occurred on Wednesday in Sankera, Ukum Local Government Area, LGA. of the state over armed bandits attacks in the area.
Recall that hundreds of irate youths took to
the streets of Sankera protesting over an attack by armed bandits on the Ayati
community in Borikyo Council Ward of the LGA which claimed several lives and
left scores injured.
They reportedly stormed the official
residence of the Local Government Caretaker Chairman with the corpses of the
dead, took over the Sankera-Ayati-Sai road and made a bonfire on the highway in
protest and eventually went violent.
The Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC, office, Local Government Secretariat and Legislative
building, were all set on fire.
There was also an attempt to invade the Ukum
Police Division headquarters but the officers on guard repelled the attack.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the
command’s Public Relations Officer, SPP Catherine Anene explained that police
teams were deployed immediately information was received from the Ukum Police
Division that suspected bandits had attacked a village in Ayati community.
She noted that Ukum is a boundary area
between Benue and Taraba States which has been a turbulent area in the state.
The turbulence increased after the death of
the dreaded popular Gana and Ukum and has attracted the highest deployment of
security agents in the state.
The statement reads in part, “At about 8am
violent protesters in hundreds began a protest obviously sponsored by criminals
to unleash mayhem on the people and destabilise security network that has
prevented them from operating freely in the area, especially with recent
successful operations that dislodged several bandit camps in the last two
months.
“During this violent protest, the onal and
government properties were destroyed. These hoodlums also made an attempt to
invade Ukum Police Division but were repelled by officers on guard duty.
The Commissioner of Police, Benue State
Command, Hassan Yabanet has since moved to the area with tactical teams and
heads of other security agents to forestall further breakdown of law and order.
“18 suspects have so far been arrested and investigation is ongoing.”
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