Benue, Plateau killings: Police arrests 53 suspects

Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun has said the police have arrested 53 suspects in connection with the recent deadly attacks on Yelewata community in Benue and Plateau states.
Dozens of people were killed, and several others were injured and displaced in the course of the attacks.
Egbetokun, who addressed reporters yesterday at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, said 26 suspects were arrested for the attack in Yelewata, 22 others in connection with the Plateau incident, and five others in Benue State.
The IGP said 47 persons were killed and 27 others were injured in the Yelewata attack, adding that two general-purpose machine guns and eight AK-47 rifles used in the attack were recovered.
The arrests came about a week after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed the IGP and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS),
Gen. Christopher Musa, to immediately arrest the killers of over 100 in the attacks on Yelewata community in Benue State.
President Tinubu gave the directive while addressing stakeholders at the Government House in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
The President asked the IGP why no arrests had been made over the incident.
“How come no one has been arrested for committing this heinous crime in Yelewata? Inspector General of Police, where are the arrests? The criminals must be arrested immediately,” President Tinubu said.
He urged the heads of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to intensify surveillance and gather actionable intelligence to apprehend the perpetrators.
Egbetokun said: “As we all recall, on June 13, two militias invaded the Yelewata community in the Manuka Province area of Benue State, killing and maiming any soul on sight. The invaders rampaged and pillaged the community, setting several houses ablaze and maliciously destroying other properties and properties of livelihoods.
“It was a coordinated attack of terror against the community. In this senseless, barbaric attack, 47 persons were confirmed killed, 27 persons sustained various degrees of injuries, while hundreds of others have been displaced but not dead.
“The police and other security agencies responded with adequate deployment of personnel and resources, including the deployment of tactical units and special forces to restore confidence in the affected community and neighboring communities.
“Also, immediately deployed were detectives from our intelligence response team who swung into action, launching a manhunt for the perpetrators of this heinous crime. I am pleased to inform you here today that 26 persons directly connected to this crime have so far been arrested and their weapons recovered.”
Explaining how the suspects were arrested, Egbetokun said: “On June 19, two prime suspects who were masterminds of this attack were apprehended from their hideout. This arrest led to the arrest of seven other suspects the following day. They were picked up from their previous locations, where they had fled, hoping to evade justice.
“On June 21, another key suspect, in whose house the pressure meeting to plan the attack was held, was also arrested. On June 22, a major breakthrough was recorded with the arrest of 18 other suspects who directly took part in the killings. On June 23, our detectives recovered two general-purpose machine guns and eight AK-47 rifles, which were part of the weapons used during the attack.”
The IGP said all 26 suspects arrested in connection with the Yelewata attack were in custody and had confessed to the crime.
“As I speak, legal proceedings have been finalised and they will be arranged by a court without delay. We will go after anyone, planner or executor, who attacks any community in Nigeria,” he said.