The Benue State Police Command has arrested 17 suspects over a mob attack on passengers of a commercial vehicle at Adagi community along the Jato-Aka-Adikpo road in Kwande Local Government Area of the state.
The incident, which followed a motor accident, left a senior police officer in a coma, while the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Kwande sustained multiple machete wounds while attempting to rescue an accident victim.
The state Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, disclosed this at the weekend while parading the suspects at the command headquarters in Makurdi.
Nwadiogbu said the senior police officer who was attacked while attempting to rescue an accident victim remained hospitalised and was receiving medical treatment.
According to him, trouble started when the vehicle conveying the passengers, including the police officer, knocked down a villager in the community.
He said the incident prompted residents to mobilise with machetes and attack the occupants of the vehicle.
The commissioner said the DPO of Kwande, who arrived at the scene with a team of police officers to rescue the passengers, was also attacked and sustained machete wounds on different parts of his body.
He added that the mob also attacked police officers who were passengers in the vehicle, vandalised and destroyed the Toyota Hilux vehicle, damaged the roof of a nearby police station and allegedly carted away mobile phones and other personal belongings.
Nwadiogbu said the 17 suspects and exhibits recovered in connection with the incident had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Makurdi, for further investigation.
The commissioner condemned the resort to mob action and urged residents to desist from taking the law into their own hands.
He said the suspects would be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.
“We are not in an animal kingdom but in a society governed by law,” Nwadiogbu said, stressing that criminal matters should be handled within the provisions of the law.
In a related development, the commissioner said operatives of the Otukpo Area Command had arrested a suspect identified as Sunday Oguche during a stop-and-search operation on September 11.
According to him, a locally fabricated pistol was recovered from the suspect.
He said investigation was ongoing to establish the source of the firearm and determine the suspect’s possible connection with other criminal activities.
Nwadiogbu commended officers and tactical teams involved in the operations for their courage and commitment.
He assured residents that the command would continue to protect lives and property and ensure that perpetrators of criminal activities were brought to justice.
