The police at Force Headquarters in Abuja, on Monday paraded suspected kidnappers of Ambassador Bagudu Hirse
Force Public Relations Officer DCP Don Awuna who paraded the suspects before reporters said, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP)’s Intelligence Response Team, (IRT) and other Special Tactical Squads STS for optimum performance in achieving targeted objectives recorded the remarkable achievements. He disclosed that, 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.
He added that the following suspected kidnappers were arrested. They are:
i. Dominic Nwakpa aka 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.
vii. Clinton Abere – a principal suspect
Awunah disclosed that two English made Pump Action Guns and 131 rounds of AK 47 ammunition with police camouflage uniform and two military face caps, as well as two Operational vehicles were recovered.
Other items recovered he disclosed were one phone used for negotiation and collection of ransom, a red face mask, anti car tracking device and a black criminal charm jacket
The FPRO also said on the 1st of 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 terrorizing 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, Kaduna State. He added that Afini Paul, a female member who cooked 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 Agbor 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 Force PRO also disclosed that 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 20thNovember, 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 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 (7) 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.
In another development the FPRO stated that two suspects Maisamari Dan Katsina ‘M’ gang leader and a dismissed police Sergeant Bulus Jatau were arrested for kidnapping and unlawful possession of firearms. He added that the following items were recovered from them. One Pump Action gun no. 40311
ii. Berretta Pistol No. AO7184Z
iii. Four (4) English Revolver pistols No. 72634, 25727, 9D09270 and G191X194
iv. Fifty (50) rounds of 9mm live ammunition and one (1) expended
v. Thirty one (31) live cartridges
vi. One (1) fake firearm license
vii. ![]()
One (1) Golf car
viii. One (1) Prado Jeep
ix. One (1) Toyota cricket
x. One (1) Toyota corolla
xi. One (1) set of camouflage Police uniform
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.
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