The Benue State Police Command has arrested a 20-year-old man, Joro Jarkata, on suspicion of supplying arms to bandits, after officers intercepted him with over a hundred rounds of live ammunition during a stop-and-search operation in Guma Local Government Area.
Police spokesperson DSP Peter Aondona disclosed the arrest in a statement released to journalists in Makurdi, explaining that operatives attached to the Guma Division made the arrest on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, during a routine security patrol.
Aondona said officers had stopped two men travelling together on a motorcycle when one of them abandoned the vehicle and escaped into a nearby bush. His companion, identified as Jarkata, a native of Awe Local Government Area in Nasarawa State, was not as fortunate and was taken into custody on the spot.
A subsequent search of the suspect turned up 115 rounds of live 7.62mm ammunition, which police say had been hidden on him.
According to the PPRO, Jarkata remains in police detention as the matter has been handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Makurdi for further investigation. Police say they are still trying to track down his accomplice, who remains at large, and to determine where the ammunition came from, where it was headed, and how it was being moved.
Commissioner of Police Cletus Nwadiogbu praised the officers involved for their alertness and professional conduct in making the arrest, according to Aondona. The commissioner also reaffirmed the command’s determination to stamp out the circulation of illegal weapons and break up criminal networks operating in the state, while urging residents to stay alert and report any suspicious individuals or activity to the nearest police station.
