15th July, 2023
NKRUMAH BANKONG-OBI/Lafia
Police operatives in Nasarawa have arrested 15 suspects involved in kidnapping and 15 others for various involvement in various crimes in different parts of the state in the last one month.
This was disclosed at a press briefing by the Police Public Relations Officer, Ranham Nansel, a deputy superintendent of police on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Baba Maiyaki,in Lafia.
A break down of the scorecard showed that two suspects were also arrested for armed robbery, four for cultism and nine others were picked up for various infractions during the period.
In the course of the operations, two arms and two ammunition were recovered from the suspects.
On the arrest of the suspected kidnappers for example, the statement said “0n 18/06/2023 at about 1300hrs, sequel to complaint lodged at Awe Area Command, where a victim was called and threatened to pay the sum of one million and five hundred thousand naira (1,500.000) or risk being kidnapped and killed.
“Police detectives attached to Awe Area Command launched a diligent investigation where one Zakari Umar Alias Dan Wudil ‘M’ 28yrs of Mahanga village, Awe LGA was arrested.
“Investigation revealed that the suspect called his victim on phone and threatened him; due to fear of being kidnapped, the victim was coerced into paying the sum of one million, one hundred and fifty thousand naira to the suspect as ransom.
“Upon arrest, he led Police operatives to a farm land where the sum of seven hundred and fifty thousand naira was exhumed and recovered as exhibit. The suspect has confessed to the crime.”
“Another ring was also caught for kidnaping an eight-year old child. Two young men were also picked up for snatching a pastor in Awe Local Government Area. The suspects were arrested after they returned to Lafia from Port Harcourt and Taraba where they had ostensibly gone to spend the 1million naira they collected from their prey.
Yet another breakthrough in fishing out criminals out of the State is the apprehension of six officials of Quest International Company, Qnet, accused of defrauding about twenty people of sums ranging from five hundred to six hundred and fifty thousand naira, the victims were promised mouth-watering incentives while being lured to part with various sums in the guise of securing jobs overseas for them. Investigations is said be ongoing to unravel the syndicate.
Two armed robbers named timothy James and Simon Oliver were caught in by the combined efforts of the vigilante group and the police in Lafia. An English-made pistol was recovered from them.
The duo were said to have attacked a farmer with the intention of robbing him. The victim raised alarm which attracted the police and the vigilante operatives in the area.
Members of two rival cult groups are in police net. They were said to be involved in a clash which led to the death of one person each on both sides. The four
20-year olds were picked up in Doma LGA where the incident occurred during the last sallah celebration.