Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Makurdi, Nigeria — In a significant breakthrough in the fight against criminal violence in Benue State, police have arrested Isah Peter, a suspected bandit kingpin linked to a spate of deadly attacks and weapons trafficking across the region. The arrest follows weeks of intensive investigation into the brutal attack on Anwule community in the Ohimini Local Government Area, where multiple residents, including a pastor, were killed in what authorities described as a coordinated assault.
Peter, 22, was apprehended alongside Moses Peter — both from **Agatu Local Government Area — and a suspected Fulani herdsman in connection with the attack, which shook communities along the often-volatile Otukpo–Oweto corridor. Police say the operation that led to the arrest was part of a broader security response to escalating violence attributed to banditry, ambushes and highway atrocities in Benue State.
According to the Benue State Police Command, Isah Peter served as acting commander of the Eguma community vigilante group, a local security structure that, in this instance, was purportedly co-opted into criminal activity rather than community protection. In an initial confession to investigators, Peter admitted he had engaged in weapons acquisition and distribution, claiming he acted on orders from a man known only as “Pepper,” who allegedly supplied the firearm used in the deadly Anwule attack and directed the flow of arms to other criminal elements.
Peter’s confession shed light on the organisational underpinnings of the region’s armed groups, revealing that local “vigilante” leaders sometimes serve as intermediaries in the illicit weapons supply chain, which fuels banditry, kidnappings and highway violence. He also acknowledged his involvement in a series of violent incidents that have plagued communities along the Otukpo–Oweto highway, a notorious stretch frequently targeted by armed gangs and criminal networks.
Benue State Police authorities have characterised Peter’s arrest as an important step in dismantling the networks that sustain insecurity in the Middle Belt, where arms trafficking has allowed loosely networked bandit groups to operate with impunity. The command emphasised that Peter’s role was not limited to the Anwule attack but extended to arming and coordinating other violent acts affecting rural settlements and cross-border movements.
The suspects were paraded by police amid tight security in Makurdi, where senior officers reiterated their commitment to holding perpetrators accountable and restoring peace in restive areas. Police spokespeople said that further interrogations are ongoing and that their investigation aims to identify additional collaborators, financiers and facilitators who may have assisted in the procurement and movement of weapons used in criminal operations.
Residents of Ohimini and neighbouring communities welcomed the arrest, describing Peter as a known figure whose group had “instilled fear” for months through ambushes, kidnappings for ransom and violent skirmishes. Traditional and community leaders called for sustained pressure on criminal networks and greater protection for vulnerable villages and travellers, particularly along roads with limited security coverage.
Security analysts say the use of community-based vigilante structures as conduits for criminal activity is a worrying trend in parts of central Nigeria, where the absence of effective policing and deep-seated grievances have allowed unauthorised armed groups to take root. They argue that addressing the supply of illegal arms and dismantling patronage networks is essential to reducing violence.
Benue State authorities have appealed to the public to provide timely and credible information that could aid in tracking down other suspects at large, including the individual known as “Pepper,” whom investigators believe occupies a central role in the arms supply network. The police also stressed that collaboration with federal security agencies, including the Nigeria Police’s Force Intelligence Department and specialised anti-kidnapping units, is ongoing to ensure a comprehensive crackdown on armed criminality.
Meanwhile, victims’ families continue to mourn those lost in the Anwule attack, and humanitarian groups operating in the region have raised concerns about the long-term psychological and economic impacts on affected communities. They are calling for enhanced psychosocial support services and community policing initiatives to bolster trust and resilience.
The arrest of Isah Peter — one of the prominent figures implicated in Benue State’s recent surge of violence — marks a critical inflection point in ongoing efforts to restore peace and security in Nigeria’s middle belt. Authorities say that this development sends a clear message that no individual, regardless of influence or notoriety, will be beyond the reach of the law as the state intensifies its campaign against arms trafficking and banditry.
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