The Nigeria Police Force on Thursday paraded 59 suspects for their alleged involvement in kidnapping, armed robbery, cattle rustling and other violent crimes.
Seven of the suspects paraded according to the Police were responsible for the kidnap and murder of the Vice Chairman of Abaji Area Council and four others along Suleja-Minna Road in Niger State.
The Suspects include the 60 year old gang leader who is also the armourer of the gang; Bello Alhaji Lawal, Sadiq Danladi, Abubakar Mohammed, Abubakar Usman, Abdullahi Idris, Abubakar Suleiman, and Ibrahim Babangida.
Items recovered from them are; Seven AK47 rifles, 118 rounds of ammunition, nine mobile phones, four pairs of suspected fake military Camouflage uniforms and Charms.
The Police said the suspects were trailed and arrested in their hideout at Tunga Maje forest along Zuba-Gwagwalada Road, Abuja, where the syndicate plan their operations and keep hostage of their kidnap victims.
This is contained in a statement in Abuja on Thursday by the Force Spokesman, Ag. DCP Jimoh Moshood.
The statement reads: “On 24th November, 2018, the IGP Special Strike Force on violent crimes attached to Operation Absolute Sanity in Gawu Babaginda, Niger State led by DCP Yusuf Kolo, working on actionable intelligence in a follow up of a case of Criminal Conspiracy, Armed Robbery and Kidnapping of the Vice Chairman of Abaji Area Council and four (4) others along Suleja-Minna Road, Niger State, trailed and arrested the above mentioned suspects in their hideout at Tunga Maje Forest along Zuba-Gwagwalada Road, Abuja, where the syndicate plan their operations and keep hostage of their kidnap victims.
“The suspects on sighting the Police Team opened fire and engage in a serious gun battle with the Police Team that lasted for over an hour. The superior gun power of the Police Team led to the death of three of the vicious and notorious kidnapping/armed robbery gang members and the arrest of Seven other members.
The Police said four victims were rescued from their captivity adding that the suspects have confessed and admitted to be responsible for the kidnap of the Vice Chairman of Abaji Area Council and four others.
“They have also revealed their various criminal roles in the armed robbery/kidnap operations and murder of the Vice Chairman of Abaji Area council who was one of their victims in the kidnap operation.
The Force said effort is being intensified to arrest other members of the gang indicted in the confessional statements of the arrested suspects adding that they will all be arraigned in court on completion of investigation.
52 other suspects belonging to three gangs who operate in Nasarawa, Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto States were also paraded by the Police. One of the suspects, Abdra’uf Yusuf is from Libya and he is said to be a trained gorilla fighter.
The Police also recovered from them; Eight AK47 rifles, one G3 rifle, two Single Barrel gun, one dane Gun, one Revolver Pistol, 145 ammunition, five Live Cartridges, 16 swords, three operational Vehicles of the gangs, two Bajaj motorcycle and charms.
The suspects in the first gang are; Abdulra’uf Yusuf ‘M’ 45yrs – Gang Leader, a Libya trained Gorilla Fighter, Bashiru Aminu ‘M’ 30yrs – Buys and Supply firearms and ammunition to armed bandits and other members of the group, Aliyu Saidu ‘M’ 33yrs, Musa Adamu ‘M’ 35yrs, Isah Haruna ‘M’ 55yrs
Abdullahi Haruna ‘M’ 56yrs, Mohammed Tukur ‘M’ 25yrs, Abdullahi Buhari, Aliyu Abudullahi ‘M’ 29yrs, Tukur Hassan ‘M’ 26yrs, Mande Aleri ‘M’ 30yrs and Sani Ali ‘M’ 21yrs.
Others are; Shehu Umar ‘M’ 30yrs, Ibrahim Garba ‘M’ 21yrs, Mohammed Sani ‘M’ 30yrs, Mohammed Bello ‘M’ 35yrs, Sule Dambule ‘M’ 48yrs, Ahmadu Buba ‘M’ 27yrs, Mohammed Baude ‘M’ 63yrs, Abubakar Umar ‘M’ 52yrs, Abubakar Turai ‘M’ 66yrs, Abubakar Sala ‘M’ 37yrs, Ibrahim Mohammed ‘M’ 31yrs, Abubakar Mande ‘M’ 20yrs, Abubakar Hussaini ‘M’ 60yrs, Usman Hassan ‘M’ 65yrs, Shehu Abubakar ‘M’ 70yrs, Usman Umar ‘M’ 18yrs and Yahaya Lawal ‘M’ 55yrs.
Suspects in the second gang include; Isiyaku Samaila ‘M’ 37, Mohammed Rilwanu ‘M’ 40yrs, Usman Sani ‘M’ 35yrs, Mohammed Shuaibu ‘M’ 49yrs, Rabiu Tukur ‘M’ 30yrs, Surajo Suleiman ‘M’ 45yrs, Abdullahi Ya’u ‘M’ 30yrs, Abdullahi Ibrahim ‘M’ 58yrs, Abubakar Ahmed ‘M’ 42yrs, Musa Abdullahi ‘M’ 48yrs, Isah Waziri ‘M’ 35yrs, Shuaibu Ibrahim ‘M’ 25yrs, Shuaibu Usman ‘M’ 18yrs, Faisal Surajo ‘M’ 18yrs, Kamalu Abdulmumini ‘M’ 30 yrs, and Ibrahim Musa ‘M’ 28yrs.
Members of the third gang are; Abdulkarim Adamu ‘M’ 27yrs, Sani Alh Lawal ‘M’ 20yrs, Umar Garba ‘M’ 22yrs, Hussaini Mamman ‘M’ 25yrs, Sani Umar ‘M’ 23yrs, Musa Ibrahim ‘M’ 28yrs, and Umar Kiruwa ‘M’ 30yrs.
Moshood said: “Consequent on recent complaints and reported cases of armed robbery/kidnapping, armed banditry, cattle rustling and other violent crimes in some parts of Nasarawa, Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto States, the IGP Special Strike Force on violent crimes attached to Operation Absolute Sanity, working on actionable intelligence further expanded its operations and relentlessly embarked on raids of criminal hideouts, identified kidnappers den and follow up on cases in its effort to continue to actualize its mandate to rid the country of unscrupulous elements, vicious and notorious criminals. These operations led to the arrest of 52 criminal suspects.
“The suspects have confessed and made useful statements to the Police Investigation Team on their various criminal roles in the recent incidents of kidnapping/armed robbery and other violent crimes in the mentioned States and the above listed exhibits recovered from their possessions. Some of these suspects arrested have also been on the watch list of the Police for quite some time now.”
The Force said the operation is on-going and more efforts are being intensified to arrest and bring other members of the gang them to justice.