The Benue Police Command has debunked rumours of an impending attack on the state by suspected herdsmen at the end of the Eid-el-Fitri celebrations.
Benue police Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, who addressing newsmen in Makurdi, said the command had placed about 5,000 of its personnel on red alert to ensure a hitch free Eid-Fitr celebrations in the state.
Owoseni said the measure became necessary in order to avert any security breach in the state during the celebrations.
Owoseni said “We have placed our officers and men of about 5,000 personnel on red alert to ensure that there are no security breaches in the course of the celebrations in Benue state.
“Besides, other security measures, which includes increased police visibility and Joint Motorized Patrols with Sister Security Agencies as well as covert operations, have been put in place to ensure a hitch free Eid-Fitr celebrations in the state.
“The impending attack by herdsmen are rumors as the Joint Task Force, comprising the Special Forces of the Nigeria Police Force; the Military, the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps, code named ‘Operation Whirl Stroke’ and the Police Reinforcement deployed to the Command by the Inspector-General of Police, since January 2018, have been undertaking pro-active measures to prevent any untoward incident.”
He added that the Command, in two weeks of special security operations carried out across the State, arrested four suspected armed robbery suspects, four suspected kidnappers and thirteen suspected cultists, while two of the robbery suspects died in the course of exchange of gun fire with the Police.
“The Following items were recovered from the suspects, a total of four rifles, made up of three AK-47 and one G-3, three AK-47 magazines, sixteen rounds of live ammunition, one dane gun, nine sets of Army camouflage uniform, and three Toyota cars,” the Commissioner added.
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