Kidnapping: Police arrest 59 suspected kidnappers in Niger State

The Inspector General of Police, Special Strike Force attached to Operation Absolute Sanity in Gawu Babaginda, Niger State have arrested seven suspected kidnapping suspects allegedly responsible for the kidnap of the Vice Chairman of Abaji Area Council and four others.

The suspects were arrested on 24^th November, 2018 after a gun battle that lasted over an hour in their hideout at Tunga Maje Forest and have confessed to the crime.

Police said the superior gun power of the Police Team led to the death of three of the suspects adding that seven AK47 Rifles and 118 Rounds of Live Ammunition were recovered from their possession.

Confirming the arrest, the Force Public Relations Officer, acting DCP Jimoh Moshood in a press statement made available to Crime Fighters said the team led by DCP Yusuf Kolo, working on actionable intelligence in a follow up of a case of Criminal Conspiracy, Armed Robbery and Kidnapping of the Vice Chairman of Abaji Area Council and four (4) others along Suleja-Minna Road, Niger State, trailed and arrested the suspects in their hideout.

The Police spokesperson said effort is being intensified to arrest other members of the gang indicted in the confessional statements of the arrested suspects, while the four rescued victims have since been reunited with their families.

In a similar case, the IGP Special Strike Force working on actionable intelligence embarked on raids of criminal hideouts and identified kidnappers den arrested 52 suspected kidnappers in some parts of Nasarawa, Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, and Sokoto States.

The FPRO said the suspects have confessed and made useful statements to the Police Investigation Team on their various criminal roles in the recent incidents of kidnapping/armed robbery and other violent crimes States.

According to him the following exhibits were recovered from their possessions, eight (8) AK47 Rifles, one (1) G3 Rifle, two (2) Single Barrel Gun, one (1) Dane Gun, one (1) Revolver Pistol, one Hundred and Forty Five (145) Ammunition, five (5) Live Cartridges, sixteen (16) Swords, three (3) Operational Vehicles of the gangs, two (2) Bajaj Motorcycle and Charms.

He said the operation is on-going and more efforts are being intensified to arrest other members of the gangs while suspects arrested will be arraigned in court on completion of investigation.