Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke have reportedly uncovered arms and ammunition at the palaces of district heads of Cha (Mue Ter Cha), His Royal Highness, Chief Utambe Adzer, and Chief Teran Kwanghbo, all from Ukum Local Government Area of the State.
It was gathered that while the former was arrested, the latter escaped with AK-47 rifles through the back door of his palace when soldiers stormed the palace on Saturday.
This is coming exactly two weeks after some militias attacked and killed Captain Adeolu Adedayo and eleven other soldiers on a peace-keeping mission in Konshisha Local Government Area of the state.
The soldiers were also burnt beyond recognition.
It was gathered that the troops “stormed” the palaces of the monarchs based on intelligence report.
Explaining what transpired during the operation, a military source said Chief Kwanghbo escaped when he heard that his counterpart had been arrested.
“Troops swooped on the houses of two persons discovered to be district heads in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State on Saturday and some arms and ammunition were recovered,” the military source said.
The military source disclosed that one AK-47 rifle, one magazine, 20 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, one locally made mortar tube and one vehicle were recovered from Chief Utambe Adzer.
Though the soldiers were told that the monarch was in possession of six AK-47 rifles allegedly being used for perpetrating crimes in both Benue and Taraba states, a source said the monarch may have acquired the weapons for self-protection following the spate of attacks in the area.
Armed bandits suspected to be loyalists of the late kidnap kingpin ‘Gana’ have been terrorising the Sankera axis of the state comprising Ukum, Logo and Katsina-Ala LGAs, killing unsuspecting members of the public.
A round hut located in the palace of Mue Ter Cha, suspected to be housing the weapons and some criminal elements, was said to be razed by the troops.
