Police Arrests Suspected Armed Robbers, Kidnapper, Recovers 10M

The police, on Monday, in Abuja, paraded 81 suspected kidnappers, armed robbers and cyber scammers arrested in Taraba , Kaduna, Kano, Katsina , Sokoto and Zamfara states.

Among the suspects were members of a gang made up of Chadian and Nigerien suspected kidnappers and six ex-convicts , who abducted a Sokoto businessman .

They were apprehended by the Intelligence Response Team and the Special Tactical Squad of the Nigeria Police Force , which also nabbed members of a kidnap gang dressed in military camouflage and Nigerian Air Force uniform .

The Sokoto abductors , who formed their gang while serving terms in the Katsina Correctional Centre, are Rufai Muhammed , 25 ; Isah Abdullahi, 25 ; Abdulrasheed Labaran , 26 ; Abba Zayyanu , 22 ; Ayuba Awwalu , 35 ; and Rabiu Ibrahim , 27 .

Speaking through an interpreter , Muhammed , who is the gang leader said, “ We became friends when we were serving jail terms in the Katsina Correctional Centre. During interaction, we got to know that we were about completing our jail terms . That was when we decided to shift from armed robbery to kidnapping . This is because we knew that we would make more money from it. ”

According to him, their first target was a Sokoto -based businessman, whose family parted with millions of naira .
The suspect stated that his gang operated on the Zaria -Kaduna-Kano Expressway 12 times , adding that they collected several millions of naira in ransom from their victims’ families.
The sum of N 10 . 1 m was recovered from them as well as rifles and rounds of live ammunition .

Parading the suspects, the force spokesman, DCP Frank Mba, said members of a kidnap gang , which killed four policemen , were also nabbed , while police rifles were recovered from them .
A member of another kidnap gang , who usually dressed in military camouflage , Imuranu Ibrahim , explained that the gang had carried out six robberies on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway.

Speaking through an interpreter , he said, “ I am a farmer and also an armed robber . I have engaged in six robberies before I was arrested.
“ We were on a robbery operation on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway when we saw a car conveying a man , his wife, mother and their two children.
“ We pulled out the woman from the vehicle and raped her in the presence of her husband , children and mother-in-law . ”
Another member of the gang , Dayabu Saadu, said, “ A Fulani man from Jaji provided the military uniform we are wearing . ”