We are closing in on Benue most wanted criminal —Ortom

BENUE State governor, Chief  Samuel Ortom, has called on the most wanted criminal in the state, one Terwas Akwasa a.k.a ‘Gana’ to surrender himself or be hunted, adding that security operatives are closing in on him.

The governor made the call on Tuesday, when he received weapons and other dangerous arms, including power bike delivered to him by security operatives at the Government House, Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

Ortom said “since Gana and his group have vowed that Benue State would not find peace, the security agencies, in collaboration with the Benue State government have also vowed that Benue must have peace and are doing everything possible to apprehend the wanted criminal and his gang.

“Since manhunt on this criminal and his group, robbery, assassinations and all forms of criminality have been reduced, but I am assuring you that we are not going to rest on our oars and I am very confident that with the calibre of security personnel we have in the state, we will recover all illegal weapons in the state.”

Governor Ortom further reiterated his administration’s commitment to rid the state of criminal elements, stressing that “those criminals will not find a resting place because we will pursue them to their holes.

“We shall apprehend and prosecute them according to the law of the land. By the grace of God, Gana must be arrested; why should someone possess these kind of weapons to kill human being? Ortom asked.

Items recovered and displayed, Metro learnt, included military uniform, military helmet, bunch of charms, 10 mobile phones, two bags of Indian hemp, one dane gun and one power bike, as well as empty cases of rocket bomb.

The suspected criminal, Akwasa, had been declared wanted by state police command in connection with criminal activities in the state, ranging from kidnapping, cattle rustling to robbery and murder.

Presenting the recovered items to the governor, the special adviser to the governor on security, Colonel Edwin Jando, said the joint military operations had maintained the momentum,leaving no stone unturned in going after Terwaser Akwaza everyday in a bid to apprehend him.

According to Jando, “it is either he (Gana) comes to surrender himself to the authority or we will continue to hunt him.”