Police in Benue State yesterday said they had obtained an intelligence report of a fresh plot by a terrorist group, operating under the guise of Fulani herdsmen, to launch a fresh attack on Benue and Taraba states where scores of residents would be killed.

This is as the Nigerian Navy arrested about 28 persons following the killing of over 24 people by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Omusu-Edumoga village in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State on Monday.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, disclosed this while briefing journalists in his office on efforts made by the command to rid the state of criminal activities. Owoseni said the command stumbled on the planned attack through its intelligence gathering efforts and explained that the said armed militia group had been holding clandestine meetings where plans to perfect the attack were being carried out through gathering of money to procure sophisticated weapons to help execute their plan.

He said: “The command has been following up closely with the activities of criminal elements that are hell-bent on causing trouble in Benue and other neighbouring states. “We want to let the criminal elements know that we are following up with all their clandestine meetings, especially the gathering of some (members of) militia group who are planning to launch a fresh attack on Benue and Taraba states and who we gathered are operating under the guise of being Fulani herdsmen.

“We have this strong intelligence report and we are following them up. We gathered they are in some locations and are gathering money to procure ammunition for use to launch the attack and we are sharing this information with our counterparts in the areas where they have been holding clandestine meetings.” The police boss said security agencies, made up of the police and military, were already building strong synergy to foil such horrible plans as well as neutralise all sorts of impunity. “Where they dare come up with any form of violence, they will meet their match with the security apparatus and whatever happens thereafter, they will have themselves to blame,” Owoseni warned.

The commissioner, who also gave an update on the killing of innocent people of Omusu-Edumoga village in Okpokwu Local Government Area of the state on Monday, said four suspects, who had been arrested in connection with the gruesome attack, were being quizzed by police detectives and would be charged to court.

He announced the arrest of 44 herdsmen for frustrating the implementation of the Anti- Open Grazing Law. He said they were being detained while 12 other suspects were also apprehended for robbery and cult-related cases

Items recovered from the suspects, the commissioner said, included one locally-made fabricated pistol, one English revolver pistol, one AK47 rifle, two AK 47 magazines, 29 rounds of live ammunition, two live cartridges, three vehicles and one motorcycle with two daggers. (New Telegraph)

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