Police arrest 10 suspected kidnappers, 3 gun runners in Nasarawa

By Oboh Linus

The Police Command in Nasarawa State said on Wednesday that it has arrested 10 suspected kidnappers and three gun runners in the State.

DSP Ramhan Nansel, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, said this while parading the suspects on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Maiyaki Baba, at the Command’s headquarters in Lafia.

He said that the feat was recorded during various operations across the state between April 30 and May 23.

Nansel said that 13 suspected cultists were also arrested within the period, while three firearms and 497 rounds of live ammunition were recovered from the suspects.

According to the PPRO, three of the suspected kidnappers from Doka in Kaduna state, Tunga and Awe in Nasarawa State, were arrested in Tunga village on April 30, with 155 rounds of live ammunition.

“Upon interrogation, the suspects confessed that they were sent by one Idris from Katsina State to purchase ammunition at Ibi, Taraba State before they were arrested at Tunga village.

“A follow up investigation by men of the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit led to the arrest of Idris, father of one of the suspects from Kankara in Katsina State, where one AK-47 rifle, one magazine and 323 rounds of live ammunition were recovered,’’ he said.

Nansel added that three members of a gun running syndicate were arrested on May 15, at about 2:00 p.m. in Assakio near Lafia trying to buy three AK47 rifles with the sum of N1.1million.

He said that two of the suspects from Quan’pan Local Government Area in Plateau and Assakio in Lafia, were arrested in Assakio while trying to seal the deal.

The PPRO said that upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to had been contracted by another suspect in Assakio to source for the weapon.

He said all the suspects would be charged to court for prosecution upon conclusion of investigation.

The PPRO gave assurances that the Police Command would not relent in its onslaught against criminals in the state and called for the support of citizens.

(NAN)