Plateau: Police arrest 17 kidnappers, POS robbers
Gyang Bere, Jos
Plateau State Police Command has arrested 17 kidnappers and armed robbers who specialise in snatching cars and robbing POS operators in Jos, the capital of Plateau State.
State Police Commissioner Isaac Akinmoyede, who briefed reporters in Jos on Thursday, said the arrest was made in pursuance of the objectives of Operation Puff Adder which was launched in the state recently.
He said seven suspected kidnappers broke into the house of one Laben Fidelis Danladi of Ungwan-Rina village in Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State, abducting him and demanding a N2 million ransom for his release.
Commissioner Akinmoyede said N1.2 million was paid to the kidnappers before the victim was released in August, 2019, but that the police had trailed the suspects through intelligence tips, leading to the arrest of Ibrahim Ali Kuru, the identified gang leader, along with his accomplices.
“On 26 September, 2019, SARS operatives of the Command arrested a five-man gang who specialise in snatching cars and robbing POS operators in Jos and environs. We recovered two foreign made pistols, one locally made revolver pistol, eleven 9mm live ammunition, one Peugeot 406 car with registration No. DKA 944 BG,” the Commissioner stated.
Akinmoyede said the suspects confessed to having robbed a POS operator at Kufang Miango road in Jos, shooting their victim dead. He said they also confessed to having robbed and killed another POS operator in Dadin Kowa and also shooting one woman in her POS shop in Zaramaganda in Jos South Local Government Area.
The Police Commissioner further disclosed that members of a vigilante group had detained, tortured and killed one John Yakubu for refusing to pay one Gabriel Monday Dahwal the sum of N3,000.
Dahwal had given the deceased beef worth N7,000 and he had been paid N4,000, with N3,000 left outstanding. He had reported the matter to the vigilantes operating at Trade Centre in Jos South LGA.
Akinmoyede said the four suspects arrested have been charged to court and remanded in jail. He said all other suspects will be charged to court at the end of investigations.
He said the Police Command and other security agencies have been able to sustain peace and security in the State, even as he called on the public to always provide useful information to the police to help it fight crime.