The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has announced the arrest of 26 persons suspected to be masterminds of the killings in Yelwata, Benue State.
Addressing a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday, the IGP said the police were on the heels of other suspects who participated in the Yelwata killings that led to the death of 47 persons.
He assured Nigerians that the police are not overwhelmed as they are mopping up light and small weapons illegally acquired by some persons.
Egbetokun added that the police is also intensifying its border patrols in order to curtail the influx of irregular migrants into the country.
The IGP added that the arrested suspects will be arraigned in court soon including the 22 suspects who were arrested in Jos over the gruesome murder of nine persons travelling to Quanpan for a wedding.
The IGP clarified that 28 persons were initially arrested, but 2 have been cleared as they were only used as bait to arrest the 26 suspected masterminds.
On Sunday, the joint security services in Benue State announced the arrest of suspects linked to the Yelwata attack.
The Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Emenari Ifeanyi, who made the announcement at a press briefing didn’t disclose the identity of the suspects.
The reported arrests followed President Bola Tinubu’s Wednesday order that service chiefs and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) arrest those behind the dastardly attack.
“Police, I hope your men are on alert to listen to information. How come no arrest has been made? I expect there should be an arrest of those criminals,” Tinubu had charged the IGP during his visit to Benue last Wednesday.
“Christopher (the Chief of Defence Staff), you have given much. I watch your comments, you can’t be tired of staying in the bush. Oloyede and the Air Marshal, we thank all of you, but we need to keep our ears to the ground, let’s get those criminals, let’s get them out. DG NIA, DG SSS, retool your information channels and let’s have tangible intelligence so that this will not occur again.”
Gunmen, suspected to be herders, had last week attacked the Yelwata community in the Guma Local Government Area of the food-producing state, leaving many dead and thousands of others displaced.
