No fewer than 10 gunmen stormed three
courts in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, on
Wednesday, when they held a sitting judge
hostage.
The gunmen, who shot into the air, caused
panic in the capital city as residents fled in
various directions, the News Agency of Nigeria
reports.
The courts the gunmen invaded included
Benue State High Court 9, Chief Magistrate’s
Court and the Upper Area Court.
An eyewitness told our correspondent that the
gunmen stormed the premises of the three
courts which were about 500 meters away
from state police headquarters around 8am.
It was gathered at the Benue State High Court
9 that the Presiding Judge, Justice Mary
Abounu, who is the wife of deputy governor,
was already seated when the gunmen stormed
her court and held her and the people in her
court hostage.
“Actually, the first court the hoodlums visited
was the Magistrate’s Court 1. They broke into
the courtroom and the chambers, where they
carted away one computer, a printer, a
generator as well as files for various cases,”
said Mr. Isaac Ajim, a magistrate.
Ajim said, “After the criminals were done with
my court, they proceeded to High Court 9,
presided over by the wife of the deputy
governor, Justice Mary Abounu, and carted
away a refrigerator, three stabilisers, a set of
computer, window blinds and left behind
empty bottles of drinks.”
At the Upper Area Court, the registrar, Mrs.
Sarah Gboji, described the invaders as
robbers, saying, “The thieves made away with
N280,000.”
It was also gathered that the criminals after
they had wreaked havoc, locked the
courtrooms with the padlocks they brought
with them.
Confirming the invasion, the Attorney General
and Commissioner for Justice, Michael Gusa,
who condemned the act, appealed to youths
to always engage in meaningful ventures
rather than indulge into criminality.
Gusa also urged Benue State youths to
embrace the amnesty programme of the state
governor instead of engaging in criminal
activities.
He, however, assured that the perpetrators of
the act would be fished out and punished
appropriately.
Confirming the incident, the state Police
Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, said
three security guards had already been invited
for interrogation.
He assured that the culprits would be arrested
and made to face the wrath of the law.
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