By Ngozi Uwujare
The Lambata Division of the Niger State Police Command has announced the arrest of two suspected kidnappers identified as 18-year-old Isyaku Anaruwa Abdullahi and Muhammed Sani Yakubu, 21. The police said the two, along with other members of their gang, kidnapped seven victims and kept them at Gwalo Forest in the state.
The seven victims, it was gathered, were rescued by police operatives. It was further learnt that the operatives recovered the sum of N2.1 million which the suspected criminals had collected as ransom to release two victims abducted at Gwangwalada in the Federal Capital Territory after negotiations with their families.
The Niger State Commissioner of Police, Ogundele Ayodeji told Saturday Sun that the incident happened on January 27, 2023 after the police command, based on intelligence gathering, had received information that two male adults were sighted lurking around Lambata-Bonu road in Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State.
He said the policemen at Lambata Division mobilised a police tactical team with local vigilante members and arrested the two suspected kidnappers who are Isyaku Anaruwa Abdullahi of Kwakuti Village via Kafin -koro in Paikoro Local Government Area of Niger State, and Muhammed Sani Muhammadu at Paiko-Kara Village via Gwagwalada Area Council at FCT Abuja.
He said the two suspected kidnappers, with their gang members, had been terrorizing Gwagwalada in FCT Abuja, Lambata and Kafin—koro areas.
According to Niger CP, the Police Tactical team swung into action and rescued the victims who were kept at Gwalo Forest.
CP Ayodeji said that it was a serious war as the police had a gun battle with the abductors in the forest. He said the suspected criminals escaped from the hideout and abandoned seven victims – six males and one female – who were rescued from the scene of crime.
He said the Police Tactical team, after rescuing the victims, recovered three handsets and N2.1 million cash, being money collected as ransom from the families of kidnapped victims.
One of the suspects, Isyaku Anaruwa Abdullahi told Saturday Sun: “I hail from Paikoro Local Government Area of Niger State. We are 15 gang members of kidnappers. We had involved in the kidnapping of over 20 victims along Gwagwalada and Kafin—koro areas. We took the victims to our hideout in the forest in Gwalo, and kept them for five to six days pending the time victims’ relatives pay the ransom. After they pay the ransom, we would release the victims.
“I must confess that on January 27, 2023, we were 10 gang members that carried out the operation where we abducted seven victims and later demanded N10million as ransom. The relatives of the victims paid N2.1 million as ransom. We negotiated with them. It was while negotiating with them for another ransom that the police operatives gave us a hot chase leading to exchange of gunfire. That prompted us to abandon the seven victims and in the process we were arrested while the other gang members escaped from the scene. We have confessed to the police how we carried out our different operations.”
CP Ayodeji said the seven victims were rescued unhurt and were taken to the Federal Medical Centre for medical attention in Niger State and they later reunited with their families.