Determined to clear the country of kidnapping and other criminal activities, troops from the 4 Special Forces Command of the Nigeria Army, Doma, Nasarawa state, have arrested 75 year old Mr Ugba Lorlumun, the chief priest to the dreaded Benue/Taraba terrorist, the late Terwase Akwaza aka Gana

The Commander of the 4 Special Forces command, Major-General Moundhey Ali made this known on Wednesday at the command headquarters in Doma, while parading 41 members of Gana’s gang members and 25 other kidnappers and armed robbers before journalists.

He explained the operations were in line with the command’s readiness to restore peace in Benue, Taraba, and Southern Plateau states.

“I’m pleased to let you know that additional 41 members of Gana’s criminal gang are in our custody. This brings to a total of 119 members of Gana’s gang in our net”, he said.

“Before now, it was unfathomed for Gana’s name to be mentioned among the Tiv, Jukun or Kuteb for fear that the man, under the direction of the chief priest, would see you in the blood boiling pots of his shrine and his gang members would go after you.

“Today, I’m pleased to inform you that not only did the operatives of Special Forces arrest the chief priest, but I’m happy to tell you that the dreaded shrine has been razed.

“The chief priest has been responsible for preparing charms for the gang, using human parts of kidnapped persons. We also have in our custody, one of the commanders popularly known as ‘commander.’”

General Ali said the young man, who inherited the late Gana’s power, Aondefa Cephas aka Azonto, who is at large, is being hunted by the military.

He said Teryima Ihyabe alias clerk and one Mr Bajo, who were inner caucus members of the late Gana’s gang team, are also being hunted by his men.

Addressing reporters, Lorlumun said: “I’m a herbalist from Katsina Ala Local Government of Benue State. I prepare charms for Gana’s boys. Recently four of them came to me and I prepared charms for them.

“The other day, they came to me and asked me to prepare a charm that would make them disappear when in a dangerous situation. I told them that they are too young to carry such charm. I refused to prepare the charm and they threatened to kill me. I was arrested by the military while attempting to escape from Gana’s boys.”

According to the commander, a cash sum of one million, four hundred and eighty seven thousand, five hundred naira (N1,487, 500) were recovered from the bandits.

“I am pleased to inform you that not only did the Special Forces snatch the chief priest, but I am glad to tell you that the dreaded shrine has been razed, the chief priest has been responsible for preparing charms for the gang using human parts of kidnapped persons,” General Ali stated.

He said in addition, one of the Commander in charge of robbery gang terrorising the people of Taraba, Benue and Nasarawa, Torkuma also died under the Command’s siege while hiding in a village at Katsina-Ala.

According to him, the Special Forces dislodged Boko Haram terrorists and notorious bandits in Toto, Nasarawa adding that in one of the operation in Kaduna, the command in collaboration with other sister organizations arrested one of the dislodged Boko Haram members, Salisu Usman Dabo and neutralised Buji Bazamfare as well as key bandits terrorising motorist along Lokoja, Kotonkarfe, Abaji Abuja axis.

“In one of our operations in Okpla, Isanlu, Ilorin, Edo, Kogi and Kwarra the command succeeded in snatching Abdulhakeem Sadiq and Momoh the notorious kidnappers – kingpin terrorising Kogi area that kidnapped and killed a DSS staff.