Benue Imposes Dusk-To-Dawn Curfew On 3 LGAs

The Benue Security Council, on Thursday, imposed a dusk-to-dawn
curfew on three local government areas of the state as part of
measures to contain criminal activities in the vicinity.

The affected areas are Logo, Ukum and Katsina-Ala LGs where
security agencies had in recent times beamed their searchlight in a
bid to curb the menace of banditry, kidnapping and armed robbery
among other insecurity challenges.

Also, the council placed a N5m bounty on the head of killers of
Chief Terkura Suswam, an elder brother of a former Governor of the
state, Senator Gabriel Suswam, urging the public to provide any
useful information which could help security personnel apprehend
the culprits.

Governor of the state, Samuel Ortom, who made this known while
briefing journalists at the end of an expanded state security
council meeting in Makurdi, explained that the curfew remains in
force with immediate effect between 6:00 pm and 6:00 am daily.

Ortom also said that the council had resolved to ban the use of
old model Toyota Corolla popularly used in the area for criminality
just as it sustained the ban on the use of motorcycles of all kinds
pending further review of the security situation.

Security agents to impound vehicles

He said security agencies in the state have also been mandated
by the council to arrest and impound all vehicles within the
category of the ban while commercial vehicles must update their
papers to ensure that they are not fake.

The governor emphasised that the decision to include Logo Local
Government Area in the ban followed heinous attacks on residents,
the recent being the killing of Chief Suswam and his aide on
Tuesday night.

“Council declares total war on criminal elements, bandits and
all forms of criminality in the state.

“This decision is coming when President Muhammadu Buhari has
also declared war on anyone carrying AK47,” he posited.

Ortom, however, informed that the council resolved to sensitise
all schools in the state including those in the three local
government areas which made up Sankara on the need to be security
conscious in the face of general insecurity in the country.

“We will set up a committee to monitor the sensitization while
security will be mounted on strategic places.

“We will profile all schools in the state so they can recommend
to us the best approach to employ in securing the educational
sector,” he added.

The Benue Security Council, on Thursday, imposed a dusk-to-dawn
curfew on three local government areas of the state as part of
measures to contain criminal activities in the vicinity.

The affected areas are Logo, Ukum and Katsina-Ala LGs where
security agencies had in recent times beamed their searchlight in a
bid to curb the menace of banditry, kidnapping and armed robbery
among other insecurity challenges.

Also, the council placed a N5m bounty on the head of killers of
Chief Terkura Suswam, an elder brother of a former Governor of the
state, Senator Gabriel Suswam, urging the public to provide any
useful information which could help security personnel apprehend
the culprits.

Governor of the state, Samuel Ortom, who made this known while
briefing journalists at the end of an expanded state security
council meeting in Makurdi, explained that the curfew remains in
force with immediate effect between 6:00 pm and 6:00 am daily.

Ortom also said that the council had resolved to ban the use of
old model Toyota Corolla popularly used in the area for criminality
just as it sustained the ban on the use of motorcycles of all kinds
pending further review of the security situation.

Security agents to impound vehicles

He said security agencies in the state have also been mandated
by the council to arrest and impound all vehicles within the
category of the ban while commercial vehicles must update their
papers to ensure that they are not fake.

The governor emphasised that the decision to include Logo Local
Government Area in the ban followed heinous attacks on residents,
the recent being the killing of Chief Suswam and his aide on
Tuesday night.

“Council declares total war on criminal elements, bandits and
all forms of criminality in the state.

“This decision is coming when President Muhammadu Buhari has
also declared war on anyone carrying AK47,” he posited.

Ortom, however, informed that the council resolved to sensitise
all schools in the state including those in the three local
government areas which made up Sankara on the need to be security
conscious in the face of general insecurity in the country.

“We will set up a committee to monitor the sensitization while
security will be mounted on strategic places.

“We will profile all schools in the state so they can recommend
to us the best approach to employ in securing the educational
sector,” he added.