The Nigeria Police have smashed a kidnapping and robbery syndicate operating within Bauchi state and its environs, just as four members of the gang were arrested.
Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, discloaed this while parading the suspects, Wednesday at the office of the Intelligence Response Team (FIB-IRT), Abuja.
He said, “The Force Intelligence Bureau Intelligence Response Team (FIB-IRT) have successfully brought to a close case of murder which seemed unsolved with the arrest of some notorious suspects involved in criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, and kidnapping in June 2022.”
He named the suspects to include: “Hashimu Galadima aka Kan-Wuka, 48, Abdulwahab Alhassan aka Emeka, 31, Abdulwahab Ahmed aka Dan-Mama, 35, and Alh. Modu Saleh, all of Dass Local Government Area of Bauchi state, were arrested following credible intelligence.
“The suspects, according to investigations, are members of a syndicate actively involved in kidnapping and robbery operations within Bauchi state and its environs.
“They confessed to the murder of one Hon. Musa Mante, a then serving member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly from Dass LGA in August 2020, and the kidnap of his two wives and 1-year old daughter.”
The spokesperson further stated that the suspects confessed to the murder of one Mallam Dahiru Suleiman, and a retired Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP Garkuwa, who they claimed was a bane to their free operation in the area.
“Similarly, 11 suspects who confessed to being members of an unlawful society, specifically the Black Axe Confraternity (aka Aiye) were arrested in Ekpoma, Edo state, following reports on their nefarious activities within the area.
‘The suspects Okosun Pascal, 22, Michael Ehineboh, 24, Aneto Israel, 22, Destiny Uhomogiwan, 23, Bello Sunday, 20, Eramoh Akhere 27, Osagie Adamson, 22, Okoruwa Christian, Edoghogho Wellington, 24, (all nine from Esan LGA of Edo State), 20 years old Momoh Kingsley from Estako West LGA of Edo state, and old Chukwu Chukwuemeka 24, from Nkanu West LGA of Enugu state, are all university undergraduates. “Exhibits recovered from the suspects are 2 AK 47 Rifles, 3 pump action guns, 1 locally made pistol, 2 AK47 Magazines, 22 live rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 17 rounds of 5.56mm K2 Ammunition, and 3 live cartridges.
Operatives of the FIB-IRT equally apprehended the trio of Murtala Ibrahim aged 37, Suleiman Rabiu aged 28, and Surajo Sani (aka Mandula) aged 39, for kidnapping and providing information to other notorious kidnap gangs on likely victims of their crime.
He said the suspects who operate within Yankwani and Kurami Towns in Bakori LGA of Katsina state carried out the kidnap of a man, his wife and two children from whom they obtained a ransom of N30 million.
Similarly, “An escapee from the Kuje Correctional Centre in June 2022, one Abdulrazak Isah, 27, from Ondo state, who was convicted to life imprisonment for the murder in 2013 and had spent 10 years prior to his escape from the detention facility, was arrested at Tafa LGA of Kaduna state for stealing an iPad and a computer monitor from a hotel in Sabon Wuse, Niger State.
“The suspect thereafter sold the monitor for the sum of N5,000 and the iPad for the sum of N10,000, before his arrest.”
Speaking further he said, “The FIB-IRT recovered a total of 27 firearms including 10 AK rifles, one G3 rifle, eight pump action guns, three locally made pistols, three English double-barrelled guns, 633 rounds of live ammunition of different calibres, eight expended cartridges, and one cutlass from the suspects in the course of investigations.”
The spokesperson added that all the suspects would be arraigned in court on completion of investigations.