The Benue State Police Command has arrested three suspected criminals over alleged robbery and cult-related activities in separate operations across the state.
The arrests come just days after police apprehended four suspected cult members in Gboko Local Government Area following a rival cult clash that reportedly claimed two lives.
Arrests in Vandeikya
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, two suspects were arrested on Monday in Vandeikya Local Government Area while allegedly attempting to rob residents.
Edet explained that the Divisional Police Officer of the Vandeikya Division acted on credible intelligence that armed hoodlums had been sighted in the area.
“On January 5, 2026, at about 2:30 p.m., police operatives moved in and arrested two suspects,” he said.
The suspects were identified as Dominic Terkaa Peter, 30, and Sunday Tarvihi, 31, both residents of Ako-Fate, Ute, in Vandeikya Local Government Area.
Suspected Cultist Arrested in Guma
In a related operation on the same day, police also arrested a suspected cult member in Udei, Guma Local Government Area.
The police spokesperson said officers from the Yelwata Division received intelligence that cult members were planning an attack on rival groups and unsuspecting members of the public.
“One suspect, identified as Mnyam Ternenge, a 21-year-old male from Udei, was arrested, while other suspects fled the scene,” Edet stated.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly confessed to being a member of the MBS cult group.
Weapons and Items Recovered
Police recovered several items during the operations, including a cutlass, a knife, hard drugs, a locally fabricated revolver pistol, and a jackknife.
DSP Edet noted that efforts were ongoing to track down the fleeing suspects, adding that further investigations had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Makurdi.
Police Reassure Residents
The Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command, Emenari Ifeanyi, reassured residents that the command remains committed to eradicating cultism and other criminal activities across the state.
He urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to support effective policing.
