TheCable

The army says it has arrested a native doctor, Tordue Gber (Tiv Swem), who allegedly acted as spiritual counselor to the wanted armed criminal militia, Akwazar Terwase (alias Gana), in Benue.

Sani Usman, the director of army public relations, on Tuesday said the suspect was picked up in Tor-Dunga town in Katsina-Ala local government area of the state during a raid on his shrine.

Usman said troops of 707 special forces brigade arrested Gber on Monday during the operation.

Terwase had been declared wanted by the security agencies and has been at large since 2016.

“Preliminary investigation shows that Tordue Gber (Tiv Swem) acts as spiritual counselor that provides Gana with “diabolical” powers and the shrine serves as hideout for wanted armed militia, meeting and planning point for operations and logistics base for the criminal armed militias that operate in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba States.

“The native doctor was arrested along with one of his accomplice, Atoo Kuwe Francis, while planning to carry out an attack and abduct one Mr. Zaya at Tse Bente village in the same local government area,” he said.

The army spokesman, however, said Gber was shot dead “during the struggle to disarm him”.

Usman said the troops recovered a locally fabricated pistol, two baretta pistols, 11 rounds of 9mm ammunition, three motorcycles and assorted charms from the shrine

Other items recovered, he said were include clothing for concealing weapons, two mobile telephones and three power generators.