Kaduna State Police Command, said it had neutralised three and arrested 25 notorious suspected kidnappers in different operations in the state.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Yakubu Sabo made the disclosure in a press statement issued on Sunday in Kaduna.
He said that the suspects were neutralized and arrested on Sept 6 and 7, following raids on their hideouts.
Sabo said the raid was conducted by police operatives of the Command led by the IGP Special Tactical Squad attached to Operation Puff Adder.
According to him, the police acted on intelligence report and raided the criminal hideouts at Kingimi and other surrounding villages in Igabi Local Government Area of the state.
He explained that in the process, the police arrested one Buhari Bello, a 34-year-old notorious kidnapper and seven others.
“Upon interrogation, it was revealed that they belong to the gang of notorious kidnappers /Armed Robbers that have been terrorising Kaduna-Abuja and Kaduna-Zaria Expressways.
“Investigation further revealed that the suspects were responsible for the kidnap of Hon Suleiman Dabo, a Member of the Kaduna state House of Assembly recently and the sum N450, 000 has been recovered from one of the suspects which he confessed to be his share of the ransom paid by the victim.
“Efforts are on to apprehend other gang members and recover their operational weapons.
“Furthermore, in its resolve to find lasting solution to the rising security challenges in the state especially along the major highways, the command has intensified a carefully planned and well coordinated raid on all identified bandits camps.
“Combined teams of policemen from the command’s operational units, the IGP’S IRT, Special forces and some hunters/vigilantes were mobilised for the operation, ” he said
Sabo disclosed that the police had successfully raided and dislodged bandits from camps located in Maigiginya and Gurguzu villages in Igabi LGA.
“In one of the fierce encounters, the operatives succeeded in neutralising bandits’ ambush, killed about three suspected bandits, recovered two AK47 rifles and three operational motorcycles.
“Efforts are on to dislodge them from all the criminal camps within the command,” he added.
He also disclosed that the operatives had also raided Barebri and other bandits’ camps within Buruku axis and arrested eighteen kidnap suspects on Sept. 7.
“On interrogation, they revealed that they were responsible for the kidnapping incident of August 26, along Kaduna-Abuja Road where six persons were kidnapped including three ABU students, killing of a police inspector and carting away his AK47 Rifle.
“The suspects are currently helping police investigation and will be prosecuted accordingly.”
Sabo said the Commissioner of Police, Mr Ali Janga, has enjoined people of the state to continue to support the police with relevant information that would help the command to overcome recent security problems.
