Police authorities in Abuja have paraded suspected kidnappers of Ambassador Bagudu Hirse, a former minister, as well as some other high profile personalities.

Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Don N. Awunah, in a statement issued on Monday, said one of the cardinal objectives of the crime reduction strategy of the current Police management is to ensure that no criminal enterprise flourishes undetected and that perpetrators are apprehended. He said: “The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim K. Idris concerned with spate of kidnappings and other related violent crimes throughout the country reorganised, refocused and equipped the IGP’s Intelligence Response Team, (IRT) and other Special Tactical Squads for optimum performance in achieving targeted objectives.

“Against this background, the IRT and the STS recorded remarkable achievements in tackling crimes across the country. In a coordinated operation based on intelligence gathered and painstaking surveillance of notorious kidnap for ransom criminal gangs in Kaduna and other contiguous states, the IRT, in a single swoop cracked a criminal gang of vicious kidnappers and arrested all the members of the gang, who are now in Police custody and undergoing investigation to ensure that they are brought to justice.”

CASE I: Arrest of Kidnappers, Recovery of Fire Arms, Ammunition, military and Police uniforms and two operational vehicles of the kidnappers

The names of the suspects were given as:

i. Dominic Nwakpa a.k.a Alhaji – Gang leader

ii. Ifeanyi Chukwu ‘M’ – 2nd in command of the gang

iii. Balat Paul ‘M’ 30 years – Driver of the gang – principal suspect.

iv. Ibrahim Samuel aka IB ‘M’ 27 years – principal suspect.

v. Jatau Peter ‘M’ 29 years ( a dismissed Police man)

vi. Afini Paul ‘F’ Younger sister to the driver of the gang and also owner of the house where kidnapped victims are kept, and Clinton Abere – a principal suspect.

Awunah said: “Exhibits recovered from the bandits include two English made Pump Action Guns, 131 rounds of AK 47 ammunition, Police Camouflage uniform and two military face caps. Others are two operational vehicles one telephone handset, used for negotiation and collection of ransom, a red face mask, anti car tracking device, and one black criminal charm jacket.

“On the 1st January, 2017 at about 1130hrs operatives attached to the IGP Intelligence Response Team (IRT) after a sustained surveillance, smashed the vicious and very notorious kidnap for ransom gang that have been terrorising Kaduna and neighbouring states, responsible for the kidnap of several important personalities in the recent past.

The gang was smashed with the arrest of Dominic Nwakpa a.k.a Alhaji, who is the gang leader, in Lagos State, while four other principal suspects and members of the gang, namely Balat Paul, driver of the gang, Ibrahim Samuel aka “IB” and Jatau Peter – a dismissed Policeman were arrested on the 1st January, 2017 in their hideouts at Dan Hassan Road Ungwa Boro Kaduna, while Afini Paul, a female member who cooks for the gang and the victims, rented the house at Yusuf Patrick close, Mararaba Rido, Kaduna where victims are kept before ransom money is collected, was arrested at their hideout in Kaduna. Ifeanyi Chukwu, the 2nd in command of the gang, was arrested in a hotel in Ogbor Hill, area of Abia State. He confessed to be the second in command of the gang that kidnapped the Ambassador and so many other kidnappings within and outside Kaduna, Abia, Imo, Rivers, and Delta states.

“The suspects upon interrogation volunteered confessional statements admitting that they are the criminal gang that kidnapped the former Minister of State for foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bagudu Hirse, on 20th November, 2016 in GRA, Kaduna and collected ransom before he was released. The same gang confessed to the kidnap of Dr. Abdulmalik Durunguwa and his wife in their residence at different intervals in Kaduna.

Ransom was also collected by the gang from the family of the victims before they were released. A Member of Kaduna State House of Assembly Hon. Ibrahim Samaila was also kidnapped by the gang on 26/8/2016 at Abakpa area of Kaduna State and an undisclosed ransom money was collected by the gang before his release.

“On the 6th of January, 2017 the last suspect Clinton Abere was trailed and arrested in a Hotel in Lagos after jumping out of the window of his hotel room on sighting the operatives of the IGP Intelligence Response team (IRT). He is currently receiving treatment at Police Hospital from injury he sustained in the process of attempting to escape arrest.

“All the seven suspects while undergoing interrogation confessed and admitted to the various criminal roles they played in the commission of the crimes. They will be arraigned in court on completion of investigation.”

Cases involving criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition

Names of suspected criminals were given as Maisamari Dan Katsina ‘M’ gang leader and Ex. Sgt. Bulus Jatau ‘M’ (a Dismissed Police man)

Exhibits recovered from the suspects include one Pump Action gun no. 40311, Berretta Pistol No. AO7184Z, Four English Revolver pistols No. 72634, 25727, 9D09270 and G191X194, 50 rounds of 9mm live ammunition. There were also, 31 live cartridges, one fake firearm license, one Golf car one Prado Jeep, one Toyota cricket in Police custody in Kaduna State, one Toyota corolla, and one set of camouflage Police uniform.

According to Awunah, “On 1st January, 2017 at about 0245hrs, working on actionable intelligence at the disposal of the Nigeria Police Force indicating that a notorious kidnap for ransom gang and armed robbers who have been on the wanted list of the Police for several kidnappings, armed robberies and other violent crimes within Kaduna and its neighbouring states were in the process of unleashing terror on innocent residents of Kujama village in Kajuru LGA in Kaduna State, the Operatives of IGP’s Special Tactical Squad swung into action and arrested the mentioned suspects. On the spot search was conducted at their criminal hide out and the above listed exhibits were recovered in their possession. The suspects have volunteered confessional statements to Police admitting to the various roles they played in the commission of several kidnappings and armed robbery attacks in Kaduna and other neighbouring states. Effort is being intensified to arrest the remaining members of this notorious gang at large. They will be charged to court on completion of investigation.

“The IGP is hereby assuring all Nigerians of adequate security and commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to work assiduously to further reduce the rate of crime and criminality across the Country, especially kidnap for ransom and other violent crimes. He urges Nigerians to always be law abiding, volunteer useful information to the Police in their localities and see themselves as stakeholders with the Force in making the country safer.”

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