Arms: Benue monarch held in military custody, another evades arrest

A district head in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue state, Utambe Adzer, has been allegedly held by soldiers of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) who took him into custody early hours of Saturday after reportedly finding some weapons at his palace.

Our correspondent gathered that the soldiers also allegedly uncovered another set of arms and ammunition at the palace of the former’s counterpart, the district head of Lumbuv, Chief Teran Kwaghbo in same Ukum area.

It was learnt that while Adzer was taken into custody by the soldiers, Kwaghbo escaped arrest but his palace according residents of the area was allegedly torched by the soldiers.

Witnesses from the area alleged that weapons were uncovered in both palaces during the raid carried out by the soldiers in the monarchs’ homes between Friday night and Saturday morning respectively.

A witness claimed that he first saw the soldiers around the palace of the first monarch on Friday night and that weapons were brought out of the house while the royal father was led away by the military personnel, adding that by Saturday morning, the second monarch’s palace was besieged by the soldiers.

The Sankera axis, comprising Ukum, Kastina-Ala and Logo, had suffered severely from the activities of armed bandits and communal clashes for a long period now.

The criminalities in the axis had been blamed on armed bandits suspected to be loyal to the late Benue’s criminal kingpin, Terwase Akwaza popularly known as ‘Gana.’

Meanwhile, the new Force Commander of OPWS, Brigadier General Clement Apere, could not be reached for comments on the matter.

Apere’s predecessor, Major General Adeyemi Yekini, had however often referred our correspondent to the Information Unit of the Defence Headquarters in Abuja. (Daily Trust)