Three persons were reportedly killed at the weekend at Dyom village near Senga community in the Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, when armed men in military camouflage said to be loyalists of the late militia leader, Terwase Agwaza, also known as Gana, invaded the community, Vanguard reports.
However, two of the armed men, who also razed several houses in the community, met their waterloo when men of the joint security operation in the state, also called Operation Whirl Stroke, OPWS, in a counter-operation, apprehended them and recovered their weapons.
According to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Col. Paul Hembe (retd.), the timely intervention of the OPWS personnel prevented what could have been a major bloodbath in the town.
He said: “These were armed men in military camouflage said to be loyalists of the late Gana. They stormed the area, killed three persons and also burnt down houses in the community. Luckily, while this was going on, information reached personnel of Operation Whirl Stroke who stormed the area, apprehended two of the armed men and also recovered their weapons which included live ammunition, an AK-47 rifle and a locally-made gun.”
The State Security Council had last week, imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on Katsina-Ala and Ukum councils to check the increasing cases of banditry, kidnapping and armed robbery, as well as general insecurity in the two councils.
Last September, Gana (Terwase Agwaza) surrendered and was killed by the military. This was after the Nigerian and Benue governments had placed a N50 million bounty on his head.
However, soon after his controversial death, reports emerged that he had told his followers to avenge his death should anything happen to him.
