Operatives of the Nigeria Army have arrested seventy-three northern youths travelling to Imo State with forty-seven motorcycles in five trucks in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
The youths were arrested by personnel of 72 Special Forces Brigade Monday night at Agan Toll Gate in Makurdi.
The Commander of the Special Forces Brigade, Lt. Col. A. D. Alhassan said he and his men acted based on security tip-off.
Lt. Col. Alhassan said they moved to intercept the trucks immediately they got the hint that they were heading towards Makurdi.
According to hm. they spent some hours waiting for them before they finally arrived at night.
Meanwhile, statistics released by the 72 Special Forces Brigade, the suspects had 47 Bajaj motorcycles while hitching five trucks and hail from Nasarawa State.
Also, some minerals like lead, zinc and barytes were found on the trucks but no arms were discovered.
When interrogated, said the manager of the company that owns the minerals said they were being conveying from Plateau State for onward transportation to a company in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.
The youths, on their part, said they were going to Imo State to do commercial bike business known popularly as “Okada”.
Reacting to the arrest, the Benue State Deputy Governor, Mr. Benson Abounu commended the soldiers for “diligence and professional conduct”.
He also noted that the youths attempted to evade arrest but the soldiers impounded the trucks and arrested them accordingly.
Deputy Governor Abounu expressed worry over how a large number of youths from the same state could assembly together and heading to a place as volatile as Imo State.
He charged the security men to carry out detailed profiling of the passengers for further action, saying the answers coming from them do not make enough sense.
In the meantime, ElombahNews gathered that the manager of the trucking company has denied any knowledge of the youths.
He said he was not aware of any arrangements by the driver to carry any other person apart from the motor boy and a company escort.
