The Benue State Police Command says 24 persons have been arrested and 19 of them are already in court following the New Year’s Day massacre by suspected herdsmen.

Fatai Owoseni, Commissioner of Police in the state, made this known during a phone interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday.

Owoseni said that there was relative peace in almost all the parts of the state as a result of the collaborative efforts of the various security agencies.

“A total number of 24 suspects have been arrested in connection with some of these cases, which border on culpable homicide, grievous hurt, and mischief by fire; the total number is 24. The number that have been arraigned in court are 19 while five of the cases are still being investigated,” Owoseni said.

“At the moment, we are witnessing relative calm and all efforts have been put in place, structures have been put in place, to enforcing the curfew. And secondly, partnering and interacting with the different segments of the society to let everybody know that criminality is criminality, crimes are crimes, criminals are criminals, and they cannot be ‘colourated’ in any manner, either religiously, politically and ethnically.

“We all have a duty to face criminal elements and not to ‘colourate’ whatever they do and whoever they are.

“We are working assiduously to put all the bits and pieces of information and evidences we are gathering from our interrogation together, with a view to really ascertaining what could have led to that incident and the motive behind the incident, and as well promptly round up these criminals who committed the dastardly act, and ensure that they are brought to justice.”

Owoseni, who was former commissioner of Police in Lagos State, was posted to Benue State Police Command after the New Year’s Day attacks, to help calm things down.

He worked briefly with the head of the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department at the Police headquarters, Abuja.