The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun (IGP), has confirmed the arrest of 26 suspects in connection with the massacre in Yelwata, Benue State.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the IGP said efforts are ongoing to apprehend more suspects involved in the killing of 47 persons in the Guma Local Government Area.
He clarified that 28 individuals were earlier arrested but two were later cleared, having been used as bait to track down the real culprits.
Egbetokun assured that the police are not overwhelmed by the security situation and are currently mopping up illegal arms while tightening border surveillance to prevent irregular migration.
He also revealed that the suspects would be arraigned in court soon, alongside 22 others arrested in Jos for the killing of nine travellers en route to Quanpan for a wedding.
His remarks follow a joint operation in Benue on Sunday which led to arrests, though the state's Commissioner of Police, Emenari Ifeanyi, withheld the identities of those detained.
The development comes days after President Bola Tinubu, during a visit to the state, ordered security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the attack, urging them to intensify intelligence gathering to prevent a recurrence.
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