The suspects who were paraded on Monday by Force Public Relations Officer, Don Awunah were:
i. . Dominic Nwakpa aka Alhaji – Gang leader
ii. Ifeanyi Chukwu ‘M’ – 2nd in command of the gang
iii. Balat Paul ‘M’ 30 years – Driver of the gang – principal suspect.
iv. Ibrahim Samuel aka IB ‘M’ 27 years – principal suspect.
v. Jatau Peter ‘M’ 29 years ( a dismissed Police man)
vi. Afini Paul ‘F’ Younger sister to the driver of the gang and also owner of the house where kidnapped victims are kept.
vii. Clinton Abere – a principal suspect.
According to Awunah, “the suspects upon interrogation volunteered confessional statements admitting that they are the criminal gang that kidnapped the former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bagudu Hirse on 20th November, 2016 in GRA, Kaduna and collected ransom before he was released.
“The same gang confessed to the kidnap of Dr. Abdulmalik Durunguwa and his wife in their residence at different intervals in Kaduna. Ransom was also collected by the gang from the family of the victims before they were released.
“A Member of Kaduna State House of Assembly Hon. Ibrahim Samaila was also kidnapped by the gang on 26/8/2016 at Abakpa area of Kaduna State and an undisclosedd ransom money was collected by the gang before his release.
“On the 6th of January, 2017 the last suspect Clinton Abere was trailed and arrested in a Hotel in Lagos after jumping out of the window of his hotel room on sighting the operatives of the IGP Intelligence Response team (IRT).
“He is currently receiving treatment at Police Hospital from injury he sustained in the process of attempting to escape arrest.
“All the seven (7) suspects while undergoing interrogation confessed and admitted to the various criminal roles they played in the commission of the crimes.”
The Force spokesperson said all the suspects will be arraigned in court on completion of investigation.
Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has assured all Nigerians of adequate security and commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to work assiduously to further reduce the rate of crime and criminality across the Country, especially kidnap for ransom and other violent crimes.
He urged Nigerians to always be law abiding, volunteer useful information to the Police in their localities and see themselves as stakeholders with the Force in making the country safer.
