Military arrests herdsmen, cattle rustlers, cult members in Benue

THE military authority on Tuesday claimed it has arrested ten herdsmen who were destroying farmland in some villages in Nasarawa state.

Also, it claimed that troops have arrested cattle rustlers and some cult members in Katsina-Ala area of Benue state.

In a separate press releases made available to our correspondent in Makurdi, Benue state capital, assistant director army public relations, Major Olabisi Ayeni said that the troops carrying out cat race exercise in some parts if north central arrested ten herdsmen destroying farmland at Tse Tigi and Tse Nduh villages in Nasarawa on Monday, February, 26, 2018.

‘ While in the act of destroying farmland the herdsmen sighted the aggressive troops and ran into the bush, the determined troops pursue them and arrest them.”

He listed items recovered from the two areas to include; two machines, one fattrique national riffles, AK 47 magazine, one locally made pistol.

Others include; four mobile phones, one axe, military belt, lanyard and a beret, assorted charms, some quantity of Indian hemp and the sum of one hundred and twenty thousand naira.

He added that both the suspects and items have been handed over to police.

The army spokesman further claimed that the troops carrying out exercise ayem kpatuma arrested some cattle rustlers, gun runners and some cult members.

According to him, ‘troops operating at sector c of the same exercise carried out cordon and search operations at Ukum local government area of Benue state which also led to the arrest of gun runners and cattle rustlers.’

The statement further said that five persons purported to be students of College of Education, Katsina-Ala were arrested as in the process if initiations.

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The military, however, called on people of the north-central to always give useful information that would assist the military.