Police arrest 5 notorious kidnap suspects in Kaduna

The suspects had partaken in several kidnappings in the North-West zone of the country.

The Police Command in Kaduna State says its operatives have arrested five notorious kidnap suspects in Kaduna, the state capital.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, confirmed the arrest in a statement issued on Tuesday in Kaduna. Hassan said that the suspects had partaken in several kidnappings in the North-West zone of the country.

“On May 29, acting on a tip-off from a concerned citizen, a joint patrol team comprising officers from the Saminaka Division and the Hunters Group in Lere Local Government Area (LGA) successfully arrested three suspects involved in kidnapping and cattle rustling,” he said.

Hassan said that the suspects had confessed to being part of a kidnapping syndicate in the Lere council area and admitted to stealing two cattle, which they sold to a 47-year-old man from Dokan Lere, who had also been arrested.

He listed the recovered items to include: a locally-made single-barrel gun, a cutlass and three mobile phones. The spokesman said that the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID) for further investigation.

In the same vein, he said that following credible intelligence information about the suspicious movement of a bandit, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Tudun Wada Zaria Division led a swift action, resulting in the arrest of a 70-year-old man from Tudunjukun in Zaria.

He said that the arrest took place at about 2:50 am, adding that during the operation, an AK-47 rifle, a locally-made pistol and three cartridges were recovered from the suspect.

“The suspect is helping the police in their investigations to apprehend his accomplice and he will be charged to court as soon the investigation is completed,” he added.

Hassan said that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ali Dabigi, assured the public of the command’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all citizens. He said that the command would continue to act decisively against criminal elements in the state.