Kidnappers operating on the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway have allegedly confessed to abducting a police officer attached to Police Air Wing, identified simply as Munir, a Deputy Superintendent of Police.
The suspects, who were paraded on Monday, also reportedly owned up to the abduction of five students of Ahmadu Bello University, and Nuhu Bamalli University, Zaria, identified as Idris Goga, Simon Terna, Kazzah Bulus, Ibrahim Kalin, and Augustine Climax.
PUNCH Metro learnt that they killed Climax for allegedly confronting them in an attempt to escape.
Reliable sources in the police told our correspondent on Monday that the suspects collected N1.5 ransom from the DSP’s family and unspecified amount from families of the remaining four students before they were released.
It was also gathered that the gang kidnapped a retired police sergeant, and a driver to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs. It was gathered that N2m each was collected for their release.
It was reported that the suspects were arrested by the ACP Abba Kyari-led Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team.
Details of the gang members were given as Ali Rabo, aka Blacky, a native of Lilman, Ibada village, Kaduna; Umar Antijo, 27, an indigene of Rijana village, Kaduna, who is said to be an informant; Sheu Idris, 27, a native of Gadan Gayan village, Kaduna; Awwalu Ahmadu, aka Mota, from Rijana; and the gang leader, 35-year-old Adamu Mamman, aka Master, who hails from Amana village in the state.
One Babangida Abdullahi 31, Usman Abdulmumin, 27, and Ahmad Abdullahi 31 – all from Rijana – were said to be receivers of cows, phones, laptops, among other items stolen by the kidnappers.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the arrest was a joint effort by operatives of the IRT, Special Anti-Robbery Squad and the Anti-Kidnapping Unit deployed by the IG following a spate of kidnappings and robberies on the expressway.
The suspects were reportedly rounded up from June 15 to June 17.
A senior police officer told one of our correspondents that all the victims’ families were forced to pay ransoms.
He said, “The suspects have confessed to several kidnappings of motorists and passengers along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, including the kidnap of DSP Munir and five students of ABU.
“The DSP was kidnapped last Monday and held hostage for three days. His family paid about N1.5m ransom. He was going to Abuja from Kaduna when he was abducted. The students were kidnapped while travelling to Kaduna, but their families didn’t tell the police the amount paid as ransoms.”
Another source said the suspects wanted to visit their respective families after sharing the proceeds when the police swooped on them.
“They were arrested at Maraban Jos, Anguwa Pama, Sabon Gayan and Rijana village, all in Kaduna State.
“The suspects further confessed that because of massive deployment of security men, most of their gang members wanted to relocate to their respective home towns.
“They said there were two major groups of kidnappers operating in the Rijana area of the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway.
“They are assisting the IRT operatives in tracing the second group. Phones, N17,000 belonging to victims, SIM cards, cutlasses and two army uniforms were recovered from them,” he added.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Jimoh Moshood, who paraded the suspects at the Force headquarters in Abuja, said the suspects would soon be charged to court.
He said, “The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, last week deployed 600 policemen with a view to preventing kidnapping and ensuring a hitch free movement for the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway users.
“The team swung into action and arrested eight suspects.”
Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
