Police arrest 48 notorious kidnappers, others, recover 14 AK-47 rifles, 27 other prohibited firearms, 4 POS machines

The Nigeria Police has revealed the arrest of 48 notorious criminals and the recovery of 14 AK-47 riffles, 27 other prohibited firearms and 4 POS machines from the criminals.

Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, CP Frank Mba, in a statement, disclosed that following the flag-off of ‘Operation Puff Adder II’ by the Inspector General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, on 15^th February, 2021, to reinvigorate the ongoing fight against violent crimes in the country and bring the perpetrators to book, operatives of the FIB Intelligence Response Team and Special Tactical Squad of the Force attached to the Operation Puff Adder II arrested 48 criminal suspects, who include 47 male and one female, for their involvement and indictment in cases of armed robbery, kidnapping, unlawful possession of firearms, cybercrime/financial fraud and other heinous crimes in some parts of the country.

Mba narrated that 41 prohibited firearms, including 14 AK47 rifles, 10 AK47 Magazines, 58 live cartridges, four AK47 live ammunition, four POS Machines, two laptop computers, 18 mobile phones, Internet MODEM and nine ATM cards were recovered from the suspects in the operations.

The police highlighted that the breakthroughs made within the period include the arrest of the criminal suspects responsible for the kidnap of Honourable Mohammed Bashir Bape, Member, Taraba State House of Assembly in December 2020. Ge narrated that the suspects were apprehended at their various hideouts in Taraba and Plateau States following an intense search by the Police team for the perpetrators of the crime and follow-up on recent spike in Kidnapping/armed robbery in Taraba and the North-Central States of the Country. They were identified to include Yusuf Abubakar, 31yrs native of Jalingo LGA Taraba state, Muntari Umar, 27yrs Native of Mayo Belwa LGA Adamawa State, Ahmadu Dahiru, 28yrs, native of Lau LGA, Taraba State, Ali Alhaji Wurungo, 25yrs native of Lau LGA Taraba State, Buhari Nuhu, 25yrs, native of Jalingo LGA, Mohd GARBA, 30yrs, native of Mararaban Gasol, Taraba State, Yusuf Jibrillah 23yrs, native of Mararaban Gasol Taraba State, Adamu Ahmadu aka Bulala 32yrs, native of Taraba State and one Idi Suleiman.

Investigations by the Police team revealed that the suspects are members of a notorious armed robbery/kidnapping syndicate that specializes in terrorizing innocent citizens in the North-Central/North East States particularly in Plateau and Taraba States. Police investigations have uncovered the roles played by each member of the gang during the kidnap of the Honourable Member. Investigations also established how the proceeds of the crime (ransom) were shared among the suspects.

The Police operatives also arrested a 12-man cybercrime syndicate for internet fraud and other cyber-related offences. The suspects, within age range of 22 and 30 years, were arrested at a residence in Kubwa area of the Federal capital Territory (FCT), Abuja following intelligence received by the Police.

Similarly, the Police team busted a 2-man gang of a 61-year-old physically challenged man, Musa Usman from Kebbi State who resides in Anambra State and one Ahmed Shuaibu, 27years, native of Nasarawa State for complicity in the distribution and sale of illicit/dangerous drugs to bandits in their camps at Babuga, Nasarawa State. The physically challenged man has been taking advantage of his physical state to evade police attention until his eventual arrest. Thirty-five wraps of substance suspected to be Cocaine, were recovered from the suspects.

The Inspector General of Police, while noting that the Operation Puff Adder II is already yielding positive results barely 10 days after it was flagged-off, has assured that the Force will not relent in its commitment at re-dominating and reclaiming the public space from criminals that are hell bent on threatening the internal security order of the country and bringing such suspects to justice.