OPWS Troops Kill Wife Of Militia Leader, 12 Others In Benue
From Msughshima Andrew, Makurdi
Loading ...Men of the “Operation Whirl Stroke” (OPWS) said they have killed 12 militia men loyal to the Benue’s most wanted militia leader, Terwase Akwaza a.k.a Gana including his wife, Queen.
Operations Commander, Major Gen. Adeyemi Yekini who disclosed this to journalists in Makurdi, on Saturday, said they were killed at the end of a four simultaneous assaults on Gana’s hideouts in Sai, Katsina-Ala local government area of Benue State.
Major Gen. Yekini said following the heavy casualty they sustained at Sai, remnants of Gana militia group on revenge mission attacked the mobile police station in Zaki-Biam on October 18 at about 10am.
“The policemen on ground gave stiff resistance to the attackers while OPWS troops from four nearby locations as well as the 72 Battalion troops from Katsina-Ala were immediately mobilized to the location, thereby forcing the militia men to disperse into surrounding bushes.
He stated further that some troops that have just been deployed to Zaki Biam metropolis to reassure the local populace of their safety also conducted a fighting patrol to Agena, Ayati and Sai in the hope to locate a soldier who was missing during the Sai attack.
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t locate the missing soldier as the camp was empty. Our troops destroyed the camp before returning back to base around 1800 hours yesterday. We will continue to search for Gana until he and his men are brought to justice.”
The force commander said a total of 45 assorted weapons including 1285 rounds of ammunition and 24 AK47 magazines have been recovered while 74 suspects; herdsmen militia, armed bandit, and cultists have been arrested in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states since the operation began six months ago.
Major General Yekini who further assured the people of the three states of their commitment to restore peace within the shortest possible time said in the last two months, thier troops have consistently engaged criminal elements and destroyed their camps such that 10 thousand IDPs have returned home and schools reopened in Benue while 145,000 IDPs have returned so far in the 3 states.
He called on critical stakeholders to support their men to ensure the successful conduct of their operations.
