Police Smash Notorious Robbery, Kidnap Gang, Arrest 28

The Nigeria Police Force have smashed notorious robbery and kidnap gang terrorising motorists along Abuja-Kaduna Expressway and recovered AK-47 riffles, pump action guns and others from the gang.

The gang were paraded in Abuja by CSP Jimoh Moshood, Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja on Friday.

Recovered from the gang are: Two AK47 Riffles, three English Pump action guns, one   revolver English pistol, one  Beretta English pistol, two single barrel gun, 133 AK47 Ammunitions, 50 live cartridges, 20 Beretta, four pairs of suspected fake military uniform, three different suspected fake army ranks of Major, sergeant and staff seargent;  KIA Saloon Lift up and Mercedez Benz Saloon.

According to Moshood, the Nigeria Police Force was unrelenting in its efforts to ensure safety and adequate protection of travellers and people in the communities along Abuja – Jere – Kaduna highways, saying that as a result, the operation absolute sanity was strengthened with additional police personnel and needed logistics by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim K. Idris to proactively tackle the gangs of kidnappers, armed robbers and car snatchers on the highways and other major roads nationwide.

He said the Commander of the IGP Special Tactical Squad (STS) and his personnel under the Operation Absolute Sanity stormed and raided some identified kidnappers den, camps, blackspot and criminal hideouts in the forests located in the FCT, Niger and Kaduna States and successfully smashed three notorious gangs and arrested 28 suspects in the act of kidnapping and collection of ransom.

Moshood said some of their victims were rescued from their captivity unhurt and were reunited with their families, as some of the suspects were also arrested for armed robberies and multiple car snatching.

“All the suspects arrested confessed to the various roles they played in the commission of the crimes and some of them have been identified by their victims. They will be arraigned in court on completion of investigation. However, investigation is being intensified to arrest other suspects still at large.

“The Inspector-General of Police has directed Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGs) and Commissioners of Police (CPs) in the zones and State commands across the country to beef up security in their Area of Responsibilities (AOR) and ensure massive deployment of armed police personnel, patrol teams and undercover operatives  to black spots, flash points and other vulnerable criminal spots to nip in the bud all forms of crimes and criminality nationwide throughout this period to the upcoming Christmas and New Year festivities and beyond.

“They are also to make sure that detection of crimes that couldn’t be prevented is prompt to serve as effective deterrent to who-will-be criminal. The ongoing raids on criminal hideouts, black spots will be sustained throughout the country,” he said.

The suspects are: Yusuf Adamu, gang leader, Bello Salisu, Jafar Salisu, Hamza Usman, Mohammed Abdullahi, Umar Ibrahim, Jibrin Adamu, Abdullahi Abubakar, Ismail Mammam, Usman Adamu and Ibrahim Shehu.

Others are: Hassan Salisu, Stephen Dung, Datchun Chodi, Fom Haruna, Yakubu Chollom, Mike Aboy, Nehemiah Duniya,Augustine Pam, Yusuf Boyi, Elijah Pam, Abdullahi Ibrahim, David Andy, Muazu Useni, Usman Shaibu, Olawale Ariyo, Daudu Garba and Aliyu Bahago.