The Kaduna State Police Command on Sunday said it had arrested 26 kidnap suspects, including those who abducted three final year law students of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and a member of the Kaduna State House of Assembly.
The kidnappers, according to a statement by the spokesman for the command, DSP Yakubu Sabo, were arrested in different locations by a combined team of the police operational units from the command, led by the IGP’s Special Tactical Squad in the state.
The three final year law students of the ABU were kidnapped along the Abuja – Kaduna highway, while the lawmaker, Suleiman Dabo, was abducted along the Kaduna – Zaria highway two weeks ago.
He also said the operatives succeeded in neutralising three suspected bandits during an encounter with the force, noting that efforts were on to arrest other members of the gang and recover more weapons from them.
Items recovered from the bandits, the spokesman said, included two AK-47 rifles, three operational motorcycles, and N450,000 cash being part of the ransom paid by the Kaduna lawmaker.
The spokesman said, “On September 6, 2019, a combined team of police operational units from the command, led by the IGP’s Special Tactical Squad attached to Operation Puff Adder acted on intelligence and raided criminal hideouts at Kingimi and other surrounding villages in Igabi LGA and in the process arrested one Buhari Bello, a 34-year-old notorious kidnapper and seven others.
“Upon interrogation, it was revealed that they belong to the gang of notorious kidnappers /armed robbers that have been terrorising Kaduna -Abuja and Kaduna -Zaria expressways.
“Investigation further revealed that the suspects are responsible for the recent kidnap of Suleiman Dabo, a member of the Kaduna State House of Assembly and the sum of N450, 000 has been recovered from one of the suspects, which he confessed to being his share of the ransom paid by the victim. Efforts are on to apprehend other gang members and recover their weapons.
“A combined team of policemen from the command’s operational units, the IGP’s IRT, special forces and some hunters/vigilantes were mobilised for the operation. The operation has successfully dislodged bandits from camps located in Maigiginya and Gurguzu of Igabi Local Government Area.”
Sabo also reiterated the commitment of the state Commissioner of Police, Ali Janga, to rid the state of criminal elements and enjoined the good people of state to continue to support the Police with relevant information that would help the Command to overcome the recent security challenges.