BREAKING NEWS, Security
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THE police in Nigeria have cracked the gang of kidnappers who abducted Ambassador Bagudu Hirse, former minister of state for foreign Affairs, on November 20, 2016 in GRA, Kaduna, Kaduna State. In a coordinated operation based on intelligence gathered and painstaking surveillance of notorious kidnap-for-ransom criminal gangs in Kaduna and other contiguous States, the intelligence response team, IRT, set up my Ibrahim Idris, Inspector general of police, in a single swoop arrested the vicious kidnappers. The suspects are now in police custody and undergoing investigation to ensure that they are brought to justice.
A statement signed by Don Awunah, Force public relations officer, listed the suspects as Dominic Nwakpa aka Alhaji, gang leader, Ifeanyi Chukwu, second in command of the gang; Balat Paul, 30 years, driver of the gang, and Ibrahim Samuel aka IB, 27 years. Others suspects are Jatau Peter, 29 years (a dismissed policeman); Afini Paul, younger sister to the driver of the gang and also owner of the house where kidnapped victims are kept and Clinton Abere.
Items recovered from the suspects include two English made pump action guns; 131 rounds of AK 47 ammunition; police camouflage uniform and two military face caps; two operational vehicles; one hand set phone – used for negotiation and collection of ransom; a red face mask; anti car tracking device and one black criminal charm jacket.
The statement which was made available to Realnews on Monday, January 9, stated that on the January 1, at about 11:30hrs operatives attached to the IRT after a sustained surveillance, smashed the vicious and very notorious kidnap for ransom gang that have been terrorizing Kaduna and neighbouring States, responsible for the kidnap of several important personalities in the recent past.
The gang was smashed with the arrest of the gang leader in Lagos state, while four other principal suspects and members of the gang, namely Balat Paul, driver of the gang, Ibrahim Samuel aka “IB” and Jatau Peter – a dismissed Policeman were arrested on the January 1, in their hideouts at Dan Hassan Road Ungwa Boro Kaduna, while Afini Paul, a female member who cooks for the gang and the victims, rented the house at Yusuf Patrick close, Mararaba Rido, Kaduna where victims are kept before ransom money is collected, was arrested at their hideout in Kaduna.
Chukwu was arrested in a hotel in Agbor Hill, area of Abia State. He confessed to being the second in command of the gang that kidnapped the ambassador and so many other kidnappings within and outside Kaduna, Abia, Imo, Rivers, and Delta States.
The suspects upon interrogation volunteered confessional statements admitting that they are the criminal gang that kidnapped the ambassador and collected ransom before he was released.
The same gang confessed to the kidnap of Abdulmalik Durunguwa and his wife in their residence at different intervals in Kaduna. Ransom was also collected by the gang from the family of the victims before they were released.
A member of Kaduna State House of Assembly Ibrahim Samaila was also kidnapped by the gang on August, 26, 2016, at Abakpa area of Kaduna State and an undisclosed ransom money was collected by the gang before his release.
On January 6, the last suspect Clinton Abere was trailed and arrested in a hotel in Lagos, after jumping out of the window of his hotel room on sighting the operatives of the IGP Intelligence Response team. He is currently receiving treatment at Police Hospital from injury he sustained in the process of attempting to escape arrest.
“All the seven suspects while undergoing interrogation confessed and admitted to the various criminal roles they played in the commission of the crimes. They will be arraigned in court on completion of investigation,” the statement said.
Similarly, Maisamari Dan Katsina, gang leader and ex-Sgt Bulus Jatau, a dismissed policeman was arrested for criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. Items recovered from them include one pump action gun no. 40311, Berretta pistol No. AO7184Z; four English revolver pistols No. 72634, 25727, 9D09270 and G191X194, 50 rounds of 9mm live ammunition and one expended, and 31 live cartridges; one fake firearm license.
The statement siad that one of the cardinal objectives of the crime reduction strategy of the current police management is to ensure that no criminal enterprise flourishes undetected and perpetrators apprehended. this is why the inspector general of police concerned with spate of kidnappings and other related violent crimes throughout the country reorganized, refocused and equipped the IGP’s Intelligence Response Team, and other Special Tactical Squads for optimum performance in achieving targeted objectives.
Also, on January 1, 2017, working on actionable intelligence at the disposal of the Nigeria Police Force indicating that a notorious kidnap for ransom gang and armed robbers who have been on the wanted list of the Police for several kidnappings, armed robberies and other violent crimes within Kaduna and its neighbouring States were in the process of unleashing terror on innocent residents of Kujama village in Kajuru LGA in Kaduna state, the Operatives of IGP’s Special Tactical Squad swung into action and arrested the mentioned suspects.
On the spot search was conducted at their criminal hide out and the police recovered one Golf car, one (1) Prado Jeep one Toyota cricket, one Toyota corolla, one set of camouflage Police uniform in their possession.
The suspects have volunteered confessional statements to Police admitting to the various roles they played in the commission of several kidnappings and armed robbery attacks in Kaduna and other neighbouring states. “Effort is being intensified to arrest the remaining members of this notorious gang at large. They will be charged to court on completion of investigation,” the statement said.
“The IGP is hereby assuring all Nigerians of adequate security and commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to work assiduously to further reduce the rate of crime and criminality across the Country, especially kidnap for ransom and other violent crimes,” it said.
The IGP urges Nigerians to always be law abiding, volunteer useful information to the Police in their localities and see themselves as stakeholders with the Force in making the country safer.
Thank you and God bless
— Jan 9, 2017 @ 18:30 GMT
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