Police arrest kidnappers, neutralize bandits

The Sokoto State Police Command has arrested a group of five persons suspected to be members of a kidnapping syndicate in the state.

Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, “in a statement highlighted that in continuation of the fight against armed bandits, criminals, and insecurity in Nigeria, on the 13th of February 2024, at about 2030hrs, operatives of the Sokoto State Police Command, acting on gathered intelligence, intercepted and arrested a group of Five (5) persons suspected to be members of a kidnapping syndicate along the Bodinga-Tambunwal Highway.

Machine gun recovered from the kidnappers

“The suspects were found in possession of three (3) AK-47, 90 rounds of live ammunition, and 3 AK-47 magazines.”

The FPRO identified that suspects to include Abdullahi Ali, Aliyu Mohammed, Abdullahi Umar, Aliyu Abdullahi and Mohammed Anas.

The police said that they all confessed to the crime and revealed they were on their way to Tambuwal for a kidnapping operation before being thwarted by the men of the Nigeria Police Force.

Arrested five kidnappers being paraded by the Police

The Force Public Relations Officer also narrated that similarly, on the 14th of February 2024, at about 5.50pm, some suspected bandits were spotted close to Gigane Village, Sokoto State, and were immediately pursued by operatives of the State Tactical Team. Upon contact, the bandits engaged the operatives in a fierce gun duel, and some of them were neutralized, while one GPMG rifle with six (6) live ammunition was recovered at the scene.

“Efforts are intensified to locate other fleeing members of the gang and criminally minded elements in the state and cause them to face the wrath of the law,” ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi stated.