The Nigeria Police Force has recorded a major breakthrough in its ongoing investigation into recent bandit attacks in Benue State, with the arrest of several arms traffickers and the recovery of a large cache of weapons and ammunition.
In a statement, Force Public Relations Officer Force Headquarters, Abuja ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi said acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Force Intelligence Department – Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) intercepted a notorious arms supply syndicate responsible for arming criminal gangs across Benue and other North-Central states.
On June 21, 2025, FID-IRT operatives stormed a forest hideout located between Kardako in Nasarawa State and Yelwata in Benue State—suspected to be a stronghold of the bandits involved in the deadly Yelwata attacks. Following a fierce exchange of gunfire, the bandits fled with gunshot wounds, and two General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs) were recovered from the scene.
In a related operation on July 8, 2025, along the Lafia–Makurdi expressway, operatives arrested one Abubakar Isah, 25, in possession of three AK-47 rifles and 1,002 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition. Investigations revealed that the arms were supplied by a well-known dealer, Jacob Adikwu, based in Abinsi, Guma LGA of Benue State. The weapons were reportedly intended for delivery to a notorious bandit kingpin, Dan Hassan, responsible for violent attacks across Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger, and Kwara States.
Further investigations led to the arrest of another suspect, Ibrahim (aka Chelsea), on July 12, 2025. He confessed to transferring ₦6.5 million to Jacob Adikwu—₦6 million for the purchase of two AK-47 rifles and 2,000 rounds of ammunition, and ₦500,000 for modifying a Volkswagen vehicle to conceal the weapons during transport to Kwara State.
In a follow-up raid on July 16, 2025, police operatives apprehended Jacob Adikwu in Abinsi and recovered three more AK-47 rifles, 220 rounds of live ammunition, and a Volkswagen vehicle. The next day, an additional cache—including five AK-47 rifles, one rocket launcher, and 1,000 rounds of live ammunition—was recovered from his network.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, praised the operatives for their professionalism and persistence. He reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to eliminating armed criminal networks and restoring peace in Benue and other affected regions.
He added that efforts are ongoing to apprehend Dan Hassan and other fugitives linked to the arms syndicate. Suspects currently in custody will be prosecuted upon conclusion of investigations.
