The Nigeria Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) has smashed ‘notorious’ kidnap gangs that had terrorized Kogi State and its environs in the past.
The operation also led to the rescue of four abducted victims at different locations in the state.
The arrested suspects are – Ojonimi Negedu (32), Awodi Ezekiel (26) and Michael Sule (21).
The Force Spokesperson, Don Awunah, disclosed these in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
The statement said, “In a special intelligence led operation conducted by the operatives of the Intelligence Response Team of the IGP’s Monitoring Unit at different black spots in Kogi State, three members of a notorious kidnap gang that has for a while operated in major cities in Kogi and neighbouring states were trailed and arrested at their hideouts in the outskirt of Egume and Anyingba towns in Kogi State.
“The leader of the gang who gave his name as Ibrahim Nasarawa led the operatives of Intelligence Response Team to their den where Edward Abutu Amedu was held hostage.
“On sighting the operatives, the armed guards who were stationed by the gang to keep watch over their victim opened fire on the police and the operatives responded and overpowered them in a tactical operation that saw three members of the kidnap gang suffer fatal injuries ,while their victim was rescued unhurt.”
The police, however, noted that two of its men sustained gunshot injuries and are currently responding to treatment in the hospital, while the other members of the kidnap gang escaped with bullet wounds.
The police said it has also arrested another kidnap gang that abducted one Mrs. Mayo Ohemi, Nichodemus Kadiri and Miss Victoria Abdul from Acharu Egume area of Kogi State.
The suspects’ confession led to the rescue of the victims who were kept in a camp from where the criminals demanded N20 million ransom.