A 70-year-old man, Aaron Dowang his accomplice and some other gangs of suspected kidnappers have been nabbed by the Plateau State Police Command which also rescued the victims, Vanguard reports.
The Police also arrested some suspected armed robbers and recovered stolen motorcycles and a tricycle from the suspected criminal.
The State Police Commissioner, Bartholomew Onyeka who paraded the suspects at the Police headquarters in Jos, assured residents that adequate measures have been taken for hitch-free Christmas and New Year celebrations.
His words, “I want to reassure residents of Plateau State of the commitment of the Plateau State Police Command to provide watertight security before, during, and after the Christmas and New Year celebrations in the State. I have deployed all operational and intelligence assets at our disposal, as well as devised the best crime detection/prevention strategies to effectively police the entire State to ensure hitch-free celebration.
“I also want to state that, tricycle operations within Jos metropolis and Bukuru on the 25th and 26th of December, 2022 have been suspended while the ban on motorcycles is still in force. The use of fireworks/firecrackers and knockouts, before, during, and after the Christmas and New Year celebrations is banned.
“The Command has in recent times carried out some operations in line with the emerging challenges in the State and pursuance of its constitutional mandate of protection of lives and property of all Nigerians, I am happy to inform you that we have succeeded in almost all the difficult challenges we have been confronted with most especially kidnapping.
“On 15/12/2022 at about 2230hrs, the Command received a report that unknown gunmen intercepted and abducted some travelers at corner Fulani near Science School Kuru, while on transit from Abuja.
“Upon receipt of the report, the Command spread dragnets across the State. In a bid to rescue the victims unhurt and apprehend the suspects, I immediately ordered all Police Divisional Headquarters under my command to comb forest(s) within their areas of responsibility.”
The CP added, “While acting on my order, the Divisional Police Officer, Barkin-Ladi, CSP Yusuf Data on the 16/12/2022 at about 0600hrs led a team of Police operatives to Kassa Forest of Barkin-Ladi where they came in contact with the kidnapped victims through credible intelligence.
“Worthy of note is that one of the victims, a female by name of Lucy Jeremiah of Chakfem, Mangu LGA displayed bravery by challenging her captor believing that help was on the way. That act of bravery led to their escape from the kidnapper’s den before they were rescued by the Police.
“On the 21/12/2022 at about 0140hrs, while acting on impeccable information from a reliable informant, one Ashiru Ibrahim ‘m’ aged 22years old of Angwan Rogo, Jos, who was suspected to have kidnapped one Abubakar Sadiq Nazifi ‘m’ aged 4 years old of Zam Zam, Abuja Mata Rikkos, Jos on 19/12/2022, was arrested by hawk-eyed Police operatives attached to ‘A’ Division of the Command at Leichester Hotel Area in the process of collecting Three Million Naira ransom from the victim’s parents.
“Upon interrogation, the suspect made some useful disclosure that led to the rescue of the victim from the kidnappers’ den unhurt.
Further investigation led to the arrest of his accomplice, one Bashir Saleh ‘m’ of Rikkos, Jos who initiated the kidnap. The case is still under investigation.
“On 24/09/2022 at about 0930hrs, a case of kidnapping was reported at the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Command by a complainant that some unidentified gunmen invade his brother’s compound at Gidan Dabat Village, Qua’an Pan LGA, on 22/09/2022 at about 2200hrs and kidnapped his wife, one Talatu Ayuba and Dangnan Danladi both females to unknown destination until a ransom of Two Million Naira was paid to their captors before they were released.
“On receipt of the report, the Anti-kidnapping operatives swung into action and arrested the following suspects in connection with the kidnap; Naandem Dennis aged 30 years, Bitrus Daboki, 42 years old, Zakka Tashak, 48 years old, Tashak Peter, 52 years old, Aaron Dowang, 70 years old, Chinkinan Aaron, 47 years old, Titus Dayil, 25 years and James Adamu, aged 53 years both males of Gidan Dabat Village of Qua’an Pan LGA.
Upon interrogation, the suspects confessed to having conspired, perpetrate the crime, and collected the sum of Two Million Naira as ransom. The suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigation is completed”.
