By Paul Aondoakaa 

The Benue State Police Command has announced fresh arrests in the ongoing investigation into the killing of Prof. Gabriel Saawua Nyityo and his younger brother, Iorngee John Nyityo, assuring residents that efforts are underway to dismantle the criminal network behind the attack.

Commissioner of Police Cletus Nwadiogbu disclosed this during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters in Makurdi, where he also outlined recent security operations across the state.

The Benue State Police Command says investigations into the July 8 killing of Prof. Gabriel Saawua Nyityo and his younger brother, Iorngee John Nyityo, have led to additional arrests as security agencies continue efforts to identify everyone involved in the attack.

Speaking during a press briefing in Makurdi, Commissioner of Police Cletus Nwadiogbu described the incident as a targeted assassination rather than a robbery.

According to the commissioner, officers attached to 'D' Division responded to a distress call at about 2:00 a.m. and recovered the bodies of the victims at Adaka Community.

Police said stop-and-search operations launched shortly after the incident led to the arrest of the principal suspect, identified as 23-year-old Abdullahi Usman from Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, at an NDLEA checkpoint in Lafia.

Nwadiogbu alleged that the suspect attempted to evade security checkpoints by disembarking from commercial motorcycles before reaching them, crossing on foot, and boarding another motorcycle afterward.

Police said officers recovered a mobile phone from the suspect, which they say assisted investigators in linking him to the crime.

The commissioner further disclosed that security agencies in neighbouring Nasarawa State, including the Department of State Services (DSS), later arrested additional suspects believed to be connected with the case.

He declined to disclose the exact number of suspects currently in custody, stating that investigations remain ongoing.

The police commissioner also said investigators are working to identify anyone within Benue who may have assisted the suspects.

Addressing reports circulating on social media that armed bandits had mounted roadblocks along the Makurdi-Lafia highway, Nwadiogbu described the claims as false.

According to him, police patrol teams monitored the route and found no evidence to support the reports, adding that road users travelled without incident.

The commissioner also clarified that the Inspector-General of Police has not ordered the removal of legitimate police checkpoints but only illegal roadblocks operated without lawful authority.

Beyond the professor's murder investigation, the police highlighted several recent security operations across Benue State.

According to the command, ten suspects were arrested in connection with the killing of two Fulani leaders after a peace meeting in Ohimini Local Government Area.

Police also reported the arrest of suspected armed robbers, kidnappers, cultists and other criminal suspects in Makurdi, Katsina-Ala, Logo, Guma, Gboko, Ukum, Naka and Otukpo.

Recovered exhibits, according to police, include four AK-47 rifles, locally made firearms, live ammunition, motorcycles, mobile phones and substances suspected to be cannabis.

The commissioner also confirmed that seven Pakistani nationals intercepted at a hotel in Otukpo possessed valid travel documents and told investigators they were conducting a market survey ahead of establishing an electronics business in Nigeria. He said they remain under profiling by the State Criminal Investigation Department.

Nwadiogbu appealed to residents to continue providing credible and timely information to security agencies, describing public cooperation as essential in tackling crime across the state.

Prof. Gabriel Saawua Nyityo and his younger brother were killed on July 8, 2026, in Adaka Community, Makurdi Local Government Area. Their deaths generated widespread concern within academic circles and across Benue State, prompting intensified police investigations.