Acting DCP Jimoh Moshood, Public Relations Officer of the Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, said that more than 1,000 persons have been arrested for crimes relating to kidnapping, cattle rustling and armed robbery.
Acting DCP Jimoh Moshood, Public Relations Officer of the Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, says not less than 1,000 persons have been arrested for crimes relating to kidnapping, cattle rustling and armed robbery.
The arrests date back to 2016.
He made this known in a press release on Monday, where he detailed a list of seven gangs currently under investigation by the force.
Highlighting the activities of the gang, he stated that Shefiyu Abdullahi, the gang leader, and Umar Suleiman, also known as Wada, were paraded for kidnapping and armed robbery and “were arrested after a gun battle with the operatives of the Special Tactical Squad on August 16, 2018".
According to the statement, three of the suspects in Abdullahi’s gang were killed by the team, and the suspects confessed to being responsible for the kidnap of Sheik Mohammed Ahmed Alqarkawi and collection of N12 million.
They also confessed to being members of gang that ambushed and killed four policemen attached to IRT in Kaduna State, and investigation into the matter is being concluded and suspects will be arraigned in court.
Five other suspects confessed to being responsible for series of attacks and killing of innocent people in villages and towns in Zamfara, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi States.
They also confessed to cattle rustling, kidnapping for ransom and armed robberies in the mentioned states.
The Police also paraded members of the gang that ambushed and killed about 11 soldiers in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State in 2017. Two members of the four-man gang were killed during a gun duel when they ambushed operatives of the STS.
Four suspects confessed to being responsible for killings of innocent people travelling between Birnin Gwari and Zamfara State. One of the suspects, Auta Bello, confessed that he had supplied several arms and ammunition to about 11 sub-commanders in Zamfara. Yusuf Mohammed, the gang leader also confessed to being responsible for the kidnap and killings in Ruga forest, Bakori, Katsina State, alongside his cohorts.
Six car-snatching suspects were arrested after a tip-off. According to the Police statement, two cars found in their possession were snatched at gunpoint in Kaduna and Kano states.
Members of the public whose cars were snatched at gunpoint were asked to go to STS office at Guzape junction, Abuja with proof of ownership for identification and collection.
A six-member gang was arrested in Lapai LGA of Niger State and two victims were rescued. The gang confessed to specialising in the kidnap of women
Another four-man gang, which specialises in threatening their victims with Police arrest and extorting money from them, was also paraded according to the statement.
The statement continued: “The IGP Special Tactical Squad since inception on the 26th June, 2016 by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, has arrested more than 1,000 suspects for direct involvement in kidnappings, armed robberies, cattle rustling, killings of innocent Nigerians, etc., in mostly States of Zamfara, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi.
“Virtually all the suspects were arraigned in court and most of them convicted while others were remanded to prison custody and their trials ongoing.”