SaharaReporters gathered that the officers were apprehended following a surveillance operation by a police patrol team acting on credible intelligence.
The Benue State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of two serving police sergeants over their alleged involvement in an armed robbery operation that led to the theft of a vehicle at gunpoint.
SaharaReporters gathered that the officers were apprehended following a surveillance operation by a police patrol team acting on credible intelligence.
The intelligence indicated that a red Toyota Corolla, 2010 model, with Registration Number NEG-35-AE, earlier reported stolen during an armed robbery incident in Akwanga, was being driven towards Keffi.
Security analyst and counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama disclosed the development on Sunday, citing senior police sources familiar with the operation.
According to the sources, operatives on surveillance duty spotted the vehicle and attempted to stop it at a police checkpoint located at Angwan Lambu.
The occupants of the car reportedly refused to stop and instead forcefully breached the police barrier, prompting a high-level chase.
However, the suspects drove recklessly through the checkpoint and attempted to evade arrest, but they were trailed closely by the surveillance team.
The pursuit reportedly ended at a military checkpoint near Uke, where the suspects were eventually intercepted and apprehended with the assistance of security personnel stationed at the location.
Upon searching the vehicle and the suspects, security operatives recovered several incriminating items.
According to the Benue State Police Command, the exhibits recovered include one AK-47 rifle with its breech number, three magazines loaded with a total of 16 rounds of live ammunition, one black face mask, three mobile phones, as well as other personal belongings suspected to be linked to criminal activity.
"On their arrest, the following exhibits were recovered: one AK-47 rifle with breech number, three magazines loaded with 16 rounds of live ammunition, one black face mask, three mobile phones and other personal belongings,” the statement said.
Confirming the arrest, the police said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were not civilians but serving police officers.
They were identified as Sergeant Shedrack Abednego, attached to the Special Tactical Squad (STS), Force Intelligence Department (FID), Abuja, and Sergeant John Ayuba, attached to the Commissioner of Police (CP) Crack Squad, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command.
Meanwhile, the suspects are currently in custody, and investigation is ongoing to determine the full extent of their involvement in the robbery and whether they are linked to other criminal operation.