Barely two weeks after inauguration of the Benue State Community Volunteer Guards by the State governor, Samuel Ortom, the local security outfit have arrested five foreign fighters armed with chemical weapons, charms and ammunition.
The criminal elements who were arrested on Monday were identified as Amazonians, have links with Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria and are also secessionist fighters in Cameroon.
They were nabbed at 3.00 noon at Jato Aka roundabout near a drinking joint in Kwande Local Government Area of the State by the local guards.
The suspects gave their names as Stanley Vincent 25yrs, Ojong David, Njeke Ronaldo 42yrs, Ngum Nelson Emmanuel and Obem Tabel Samuel 26yrs.
The development was contained in a statement by the Security Adviser to the State government, Lt. Col. Paul Hemba (retd), saying that one of the suspects, Stanley impersonated to be a military personnel serving at Ojo in Lagos.
The statement revealed that Stanley claimed to have been assigned to escort his boss to Cameroon, but became suspicious when he couldn’t produce identity card.
The statement said: “On 22nd August, 2022 about 1500 hours at Jato Aka Roundabout, near Dzoho Aondofa Drinking Joint, Kwande LGA, BSCVG arrested Five (5) Ambazonian fighters suspected to have had linked with not only Boko Haram but also Ambazonians fighting the Republic of Cameroon for years.
”Further checks revealed that chemical weapons which carry a labels ‘DANGER’, Military Uniform, charms, and undisclosable number of ammunition were found on the Amazonians who further disclosed to have stayed at Agogo Hotel, Jato Aka, for a period of six (6) months uninterruptedly, a hotel owned by one Dooorun AGOGO,” the statement read in parts.
The statement said, the suspects have been handed over to the Nigerian Police in Adikpo, headquarters of Kwande Local Government for further prosecution.
Hemba further said in the statement that the criminal activities of the suspects might not be unconnected to armed robbery and kidnapping incidences which had occurred in the council area in the past six (6) months.
