The Nigerian Army’s 401 Special Forces Brigade, working with Sector One, has rescued six kidnapped victims and a National Youth Service Corps member from kidnappers in Tse-Annaka, near Wukari/Zaki-Biam, in the Ukum local government area of Benue State.
Samuel Muekara, a 29-year-old law graduate, was confirmed as the corps member.
Anaelechi Bob, 32; Ayuba Luka, 28; Ibrahim Umar, 30; Rabiu Muhammad, 48; Buhari Ahmadu Saleh, 17; and Blessing Ayuba, 47 are among the other rescued victims who were abducted at various periods and dates within the same vicinity.
A security official who spoke with the media on condition of anonymity identified the bandits terrorising the Sankara axis as “Full Fire”, Ayongo, Chen and his company.
He said that Terwase Akwaza, better known as Gana, the late criminal lord of Benue, was the group leader of the bandits.
“These notorious armed bandits are well known to the people living in those areas and any attempt to get information from them, they claim not to know, whereas they know them.
“The people must understand that security is a collective effort from all and sundry, and therefore, the communities should be able to always volunteer necessary information to security agencies, especially our troops, to help them fish out the perpetrators of crime among them,” he said.
Speaking at the military camp in Zaki-Biam, Ukum local government area, where they were transferred, several of the rescued victims said they had been abducted and held captive for days before the military personnel’s involvement.
“Some of us were taken to the neighbouring settlements like Chito village, Adamawa village, Atereyange village, Ututu village and Pevkyaa village all of Ukum local government area where these heavily armed bandits are using as their hideouts.
“These armed bandits have made kidnapping in these communities their major source of income and they do it in broad daylight without fear.
”They are living with their families who usually come to give us food in their hideouts. People living around there see them perpetrating these evils but they are helpless to voice it out for fear of their lives.
“One of us (victims) known as Rabiu Muhammad who came to pay ransom for his cousin Ibrahim Umar, became a kidnapped victim himself after he had paid the ransom”, one of the victims said.
Another victim, Blessing Ayuba, said she was kidnapped after coming to pay a ransom for her son, Luka Ayuba.
The rescued youth corps member, on his part, stated that although the families of seven victims gathered over N20 million and paid as ransom, along with other items worth millions of naira forcibly taken away, they were still held captive till the military came to their rescue.