By Beauty John, LAFIA
The Nasarawa state police command has arrested 27 persons suspected of armed robbery and kidnapping across the state.
Commissioner of police in Nasarawa, Bola Longe made this known while parading the suspects at the state command headquarters in Lafia, Monday.
According to him, 21 of the men paraded are suspected armed robbers while the remaining 6 are suspected kidnappers.
The CP said his men have arrested two persons suspected to be involved in the killing of the village head of Odu in Nasarawa local government council.
“They kidnapped the children of one of the traditional rulers as well as some people who were coming from Benue state”.
“We have arrested them, they are members of dangerous kidnapping and banditry group,” he added.
According to Longe, on 7th August at about 8:30 pm, a detachment of police personnel of Anti-kidnapping Squad, working on actionable intelligence had arrested one Mohammed Suleiman, “M” of Akwanga LGA, Nasarawa state, in connection to the murder of a Superintendent of Immigration, Salisu Usman Maku and his sister Saadatu Usman Maku , and the kidnapping of the deceased’s wife in his home in Gudi, Akwanga LGA.
“Upon interrogation, he confessed of being a member of the criminal gang that killed a superintendent of Immigration and a woman in Gudi. The suspect is cooperating with the police in their investigation, while effort is ongoing to arrest other suspects still at large”.
Longe said that woking with credible intelligence that some kidnappers were spotted in Nasarawa town, an anti- robbery team was dispersed to the scene.
“They met them where they were spending money freely and they were misbehaving because they were intoxicated by the crime they committed”.
Personnel of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on 8th July, 2020, stormed the criminal hide out of a notorious armed robbery gang terrorizing motorists and passengers along Lafia-Obi and Awe-Azara road, located in Bature village of Awe LGA, Nasarawa state and arrested a 20-year-old kingpin of the gang named Shagari Shehu Hassan, with an AK 47 rifle with the breach number 20190.
“Police are on the trail of other gang members as investigation intensifies”
Also, Shagari Ibrahim, Isa Ibrahim , Musa Sake and Ibrahim Mohammed were arrested on 4th August, 2020, in relation the kidnapping of Nasarawa Christian Association of Nigeria chairman, Bishop John Masin, Wife of Eggon Youth Leader in Nasarawa state, Mrs Ruth Daniel Enyabuga and the Deputy Cheif Registrar of High Court of Nasarawa state.
According to the CP, seven fire arms were recovered alongside 14 live ammunition. One vehicle and 14 mobile phones were also recovered from the suspects.
Satisfied with the progress of his men, the CP said, with these arrests, the police has been able to weaken the aggressiveness of the criminal elements.
He appreciates members of the public, traditional rulers and other security agencies for their support and cooperation which impacted positively on the police achievements in the past few months.
The CP warned that criminals should be wary of venturing into Nasarawa as the police is ever ready to make it unbearable for them to carry out their operations.
