Adah Ameh, a councillor from Okpokwu Local Government Area in Benue State, has been apprehended by soldiers of Operation WhirlStroke. The arrest was made on grounds of allegedly carrying a firearm without a license, as confirmed by security sources on Monday.

Ameh, aged 43, was taken into custody on Friday, March 8, in Omusu, a rural community located within the Benue South Senatorial District. Soldiers, providing security during the distribution of relief materials in the volatile region, noticed Ameh in possession of a pistol.

The councillor, who hails from Effeche in Ojigo Ward, serves as the Supervisory Councilor for Health in Okpokwu LGA. His arrest took place during the distribution of relief materials organized by Omale Onyilo, the caretaker chairperson of the local government, in collaboration with the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

Tension arose when unusual movements were observed among the guests during the relief materials distribution. Soldiers spotted Ameh with a pistol and promptly disarmed him. Interrogation revealed that Ameh claimed to have received the firearm from Michael Ameh Idu, the second in command of the Benue State Community Volunteer Guards (BSCVGs) at Omusu, allegedly for self-defense against Fulani bandits and kidnapping threats. Ameh stated that the weapon had been confiscated from a suspected Fulani bandit since 2022.

Following his arrest, Ameh was handed over to the police at Okpoga, the headquarters of Okpokwu LGA, for further investigation and potential prosecution. Attempts to obtain comments from the police spokesperson in Benue, Sewuese Anene, and the commander of Operation WhirlStroke, Sunday Igbinomwanhia, were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.