The Benue State Police Command has arrested six suspects believed to be working with bandits in the Sankara area of Katsina-Ala Local Government Area.
The arrests followed a targeted raid on several known criminal hideouts around 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 27, 2025. The operation focused on black spots in the troubled region, which has long struggled with banditry, kidnappings, and communal violence.
The suspects — identified as Harrison Innocent (30), Chidera Aningene (23), Blessing Ula (27), Godwin Chukwuma (40), Paul David (27), and John Nevgba (18) — were found with substances suspected to be hard drugs. According to police sources, the group allegedly supplied these drugs to bandits operating in the area.
The police believe the suspects are part of a network that supports criminal groups by providing narcotics and possibly serving as informants or logistical helpers.
All six suspects are currently in custody at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Makurdi, where investigations are ongoing.
The police raid is part of broader efforts to clamp down on the rising wave of insecurity in the Sankara region, which covers Katsina-Ala, Ukum, and Logo LGAs. The area has been a hotbed of violent crime, with several communities regularly under attack from armed groups.
In a related development, the Nigerian Army’s 401 Brigade has launched clearance operations in the same axis. Soldiers have been deployed along the route from Sankara to Takum in neighbouring Taraba State, with the aim of flushing out fleeing bandits.
Military sources say the troops are pursuing a group of armed men believed to have retreated to the Peva area, a known hideout on the Benue-Taraba border.
