From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi
The Special Adviser on Security to Benue State Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia Col.Alex Igbaya rtd has assured residents of Benue that adequate security measures has been put in place to forestall an reoccurrence of the deadly multiple bank robbery in Otukpo that claimed several lives with many others in critical conditions in the hospital.
Col. Agbaya who visited the sites of the incident at the weekend including the Otukpo Divisional Police Headquarter where four Policemen, including the DPO was killed, described it as ‘regrettable’ and ‘sad’.
He warned criminals that the new government in the state will not tolerate crime of any guise in the state.
The Security Adviser said Government is taking stock of the callous killing of security men and ordinary people at the banks, assuring the perpetrators will be fished out.
He commended the gallantry of the officers while also, sympathizing with them over the lose of four of their personnel.
“I am in Otukpo to see the situation and I commend security agencies for standing up to the criminals as you can see four of them have been arrested and two (2) died during exchange of gun shots with security men,unfortunately we lost four security men”
Recalled that on Friday 20 October, 2023, heavily armed men in two Hilux vans and a car stormed five (5) commercial banks in the town with explosives and sophisticated weapons, killing several persons including police personnel, vigilante members and a Local Government Councillor after which they carted away large sums of money from the banks.
