Kaduna police neutralise kidnappers, arrest 19 suspects, recover arms, stolen items

The Kaduna State Police Command on Tuesday said it had neutralised notorious kidnappers, arrested 16 suspected kidnappers and three suspected gunrunners, and recovered 190 stolen solar inverters valued at N69 million during a series of operations carried out across the state in the last two weeks.

The command also recovered 10 lithium batteries worth approximately N9 million, 10 firearms of different calibres, 170 counterfeit US dollar notes, 83 packs of hard drugs, 32 stolen mobile phones, two plasma television sets, a stolen Toyota Sienna vehicle and more than 400 rustled cattle within the period under review.

Addressing journalists at the Command Headquarters in Kaduna, the state Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Muhammad, said the operations underscored the command’s resolve to dismantle criminal networks threatening the peace and security of the state.

Muhammad said, “Within the two weeks under review, the Kaduna State Police Command neutralised notorious kidnappers, arrested 16 suspected kidnappers, six suspects found in possession of 170 pieces of counterfeit dollar notes, three suspected gunrunners, recovered 10 firearms of different calibres, 190 solar inverters worth N69 million, one stolen vehicle, 83 packs of hard drugs, 32 stolen phones, two plasma televisions and 410 cattle during various operations.”

The commissioner said one of the breakthroughs followed the arrest of a 20-year-old woman, Aisha Barau, in Ramin Kura Village while allegedly attempting to exchange counterfeit US dollar notes for naira.

According to him, the suspect confessed that the fake currency had been supplied by two men, Abdullahi Muhammad and Danbala Jibrin, leading to the arrest of other members of the syndicate.

“Further investigation led to the arrest of several other members of the syndicate. They will be prosecuted in accordance with the law,” he said.

Muhammad further disclosed that operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, acting on credible intelligence, tracked and arrested three suspected gunrunners in Jos, Plateau State.

The suspects, identified as Luka Samuel, John Paul and Musa Elisha, were arrested with two locally fabricated pistols.

He said the suspects confessed to supplying arms and ammunition to bandits operating in different parts of the North.

Furthermore, in another operation, police operatives, working with members of the Yan Sa Kai vigilante group after months of surveillance, arrested one Abdullahi Mohammed, popularly known as “Aala”, at Kargi Village in Ikara Local Government Area of Kano State.

The police commissioner said the suspect confessed to masterminding several kidnapping operations in Kuzuntu Village and other parts of Kano.

“He also admitted participating in the killing of two Yan Sa Kai members during an attack carried out last year,” Muhammad said, adding that an AK-47 rifle and five rounds of live ammunition were recovered from the suspect.

The command also recorded a breakthrough against vehicle theft after recovering a Toyota Sienna stolen from the premises of a Juma’at Mosque in Ungwan Rimi, Kaduna, among other arrests and item recoveries.

Muhammad appealed to residents to continue providing timely and credible intelligence, assuring that the command would sustain ongoing operations aimed at flushing out criminal elements and safeguarding lives and property across Kaduna State.