Security Operatives Nab Major Kidnap Suspect In Benue
A suspected kidnap kingpin, Ngbede Ekoja Echono, widely known as Ocheanpla, has been apprehended by security operatives in Apa Local Government Area of Benue State.
Echono’s arrest has sparked renewed concern over the scale of kidnapping and banditry in parts of the state, particularly across the Odugbo, Opaha, and Obinda axes.
Echono is believed to be a central figure in a web of abductions and armed violence that had plagued the region for years.
Locals claim he once led a band of kidnappers into the village and even sold weapons belonging to the Obinda community—actions that allegedly went unpunished due to fear or complicity.
Sources within the community disclosed that his reign of terror was well known, yet law enforcement was either unable or unwilling to act until now.
“He even took Obinda’s weapon and sold it; yet, no one said anything,” a resident was quoted as saying.
Security operatives have confirmed that investigations are underway and hinted that additional arrests could follow based on the suspect’s statements.
In a video Echono issued a chilling warning to the officers who detained him. His words suggest a broader network of criminality that may soon be exposed.“If you take me beyond here, I will expose many. I am not the only kidnapper in Obinda, Opaha Odugbo axis,” he declared.
