LG Officials, Traditional Rulers indicted over killing of soldiers in Benue

The Governer of Benue State, Samuel Orton on Monday said that two officials of Konshisha LGA and two other identified traditional rulers have been detained in connection with the abrupt killing of about 11 soldiers and a captain in Bonita village.

Ortom on Monday said their arrest was part of the resolution made at the state’s security council.

The victims are Sam Kave, deputy chairman, Konshisha LGA; Tersoo Mela, councillor representing Mbatser/Mbaguza ward; Unaha Koko, the district head of Iwarnyam and Emmanuel Adegbenda, head of Bonta.

Reading the resolutions of the council in a broadcast, the governor said the apprehended suspect had useful information that could lead to the arrest of the killers of the soldiers.

Recall the soldiers were on April 5 killed on an operation to restore peace between warring communities in Konshisha and Oju LGAs.

“The council commended the minister of defence and service chiefs for allowing the state government and its security council to wade into the matter and help recover the lost weapons instead of the military going to do so themselves,” he said.

“Since then, we have not slept. We did everything to ensure that we recover the arms and by the grace of God we are able to recover eight AK47 plus the one the army recovered themselves earlier making it nine.

“We also recovered the machine gun that the militia took from them too and all the recovered weapons have been handed over to the army already.”

He added that the state government will in no longer period meet with the families of the 12 military personnel to discuss how to assist them.