Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has announced the arrest of two officials of Konshisha Local Government Area as well as two traditional rulers in connection with the killing of 11 soldiers in Bonta village in Konshisha.
Reading the resolutions of the state Security Council Meeting to the Expanded Security Meeting on Monday in Makurdi, Ortom said their arrest was part of the resolution of the Security Council.
He gave those arrested as Sam Kave, Deputy Chairman, Konshisha LGA; Tersoo Mela, Councillor representing Mbatser/Mbaguza ward; Unaha Koko, the District Head of Iwarnyam and Emmanuel Adegbenda, the Kindred Head of Bonta.
The governor alleged that the four suspects had useful information that would lead to the arrest of the militia gangs that killed the soldiers.
The Defence Headquarters had earlier announced the killing of its soldiers including an Army Captain by gunmen in Bonta village.
The soldiers were killed while on Special operation to restore peace between warring communities of Konshisha and Oju local government areas.
The soldiers were ambushed and killed on April 5, and their remains later burnt by the criminals.
He said that the Council believed that the four stakeholders arrested would provide very useful information that would lead to the arrest of the militias that killed the soldiers.
Ortom also said that the Council had agreed to pay a condolence visit to President Muhammadu Buhari in respect of the killing of the military personnel in the state.
He said that the Council, in collaboration with the stakeholders, had already recovered eight AK-47 machine guns including the one recovered earlier by the army.
“The Council commended the Minister of Defence and Service Chiefs for allowing the State Government and its Security Council to wade into the matter and help recover the lost weapons instead of the military going to do so themselves.
“Since then, we have not slept. We did everything to ensure that we recover the arms and by the grace of God, we are able to recover eight AK-47 plus the one the army recovered themselves earlier making it nine.
“We also recovered the machine gun that the militia took from them too and all the recovered weapons have been handed over to the Army already,” he said.
The Governor said that the Council also agreed to visit the affected communities at an appropriate time.
He said that the Benue State Executive Council would meet to discuss how best to assist the families of the 12 military personnel killed by the militia.
