Notorious Gang Leader Escapes Military Operation

• Army arrests killers of Ortom’s security aide
George Okoh in Makurdi
The Nigerian Army yesterday disclosed that the wanted notorious gang leader known as Gana, who is responsible for the killings of several persons in Benue State, escaped when the army operation at the weekend bombarded his camp in Ayaka in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area.
The army also said two members of the gang were arrested.

According to the army, one of the suspects, in a confessional statement, admitted being responsible for the killing of a security aide to the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, Mr. Denen Igbarna.
The Operational Commander of ‘Operation Whirl Storm,’ Major General Adeyemi Yekini, stated that the Nigerian army, during the Sallah holiday, deployed troops in Benue and Nasarawa States in two operations known as ‘Dark Down’ and ‘Deadly Strike’.

He said “Operation Dark Down took place on June 14, 2018 at about 6.a.m in with the focus of clearing  Benue State of deadly armed militia men that have been terrorising the Lower Benue axis.
The militia gang members, according to the army statement, were arrested following a tip off.
“Items recovered from them, the statement added, included one locally made gun, one pistol, seven rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition,” the statement said.

He said the operation in conjunction with 72 and 93 Battalions’ soldiers attacked the camps of the notorious Gana.
“Prior to the attack, the Nigerian Air Force Mi35 gunship helicopter carried out aerial bombardment of the camp which led to the successful dislodgement of Gana and his men,” he added.

Yekini said two members of the gang were arrested, while the one who confessed to the killing, was arrested at the Taraba border by the 93 Battalion.
In another development, Yekini disclosed that the soldiers ambushed 40 herdsmen with over 3,000 herds of cattle at Kwatan Gyemu, armed with sophisticated weapons.
He said the troop engaged the herdsmen who fled using cows as shields.

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