A female, Markus Grace, suspected to be a girlfriend and informant of a notorious kidnapper in Taraba, has been arrested by troops of the 6 Brigade, Nigerian Army.
In a statement, the spokesman of the brigade, Captain Olubodunde Oni, said arms and ammunition, a vehicle and other suspicious items were recovered during operations carried out within Wukari and Gassol general area.
The statement reads: “In a series of successful military operations aimed at curbing crime within Taraba State, troops of 6 Brigade/Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have apprehended a suspected kidnapper’s informant, recovered an AK-47 rifle, and a vehicle in two separate operations.
“Following the recent abduction of one Mallam Saidu at his residence at Vesee community in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State, troops of 6 Brigade in Sondi village of Wukari LGA of Taraba State conducted an intelligence-led operation on 6 September 2024 and arrested a suspected kidnapper’s informant named Miss Markus Grace for reportedly aiding kidnappers and criminal elements in the area.’’
Eight persons have been kidnapped, while 12 others were injured during the Ozo traditional title installation in Anambra State.
The incident happened in Amakor Village, Nanka Community of Orumba North Local Government Area of the state.
One of the Ozo title holders in the community who did not want to be mentioned, told The Nation that he was present at the event.
The source said his escape was by divine intervention.
“I managed to escape from the scene when the gunmen struck,” he said.
Another eyewitness said the policemen guarding the venue attempted to resist the attackers but were overpowered.
“Without any explanation or engagement with the organizers of the event, the men began to scatter things at the venue, intimidate, and brutalize many of the participants and organizers, even kicking some of them in their manhood, while the armed men stood by; including some dressed in police uniforms.
“Some other participants managed to escape and have been in hiding since then,” said the eyewitness.
The Chief, further, lamented that the whereabouts of the abducted individuals remained unknown.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Youths Development in Anambra State, Patrick Agha Mba and his wife were equally kidnapped by the gunmen.
Also, one of his aides from Onitsha was killed in the process on their way to the wedding of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s daughter.
The incident, The Nation gathered, happened on Friday on their way to Abuja.
Soludo’s daughter’s wedding will take place in Abuja today (Saturday) after the traditional marriage that took place at Isuofia, Aguata Local Government Area of the state, last week.
The Anambra State’s spokesperson for the Police Command, Ikenga Tochukwu, a Superintendent of Police, said he was not aware of the incident.
He said the command would investigate the situation when reported.
On the speculation that some of the abductors were in police uniforms, the Ikenga said, “Police don’t kidnap, and police don’t abduct.
“If they were arrested, the police would have reached out to their families and allow them to make calls. We don’t operate like that,” Ikenga said.
However, he failed to comment on the kidnap of Soludo’s commissioner and wife; and the killing of their aide, since it did not happen in the state
The rate of kidnappings in Anambra State has reached an alarming proportion as no day passes without the kidnap of citizens.
They killed 572 terrorists and arrested over 790 terrorists and other criminals during th period.
This was made known at the Strategic Communications Interagency Policy Committee joint briefing by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), in Abuja.
Spokesman of DSS, Peter Afunanya said these were their achievements in July, adding that they recovered crude oil worth over N3 billion and the military troops 440 weapons and 10,589 rounds of ammunition.
On DSS, Afunanya said: “Within July, the Service sustained proactive intelligence acquisition and dissemination of same action agencies. This led to the arrest of criminal elements involved in oil theft, kidnapping, burglary and theft of electrical installations, human trafficking, armed robbery, cult related activities, terrorism and insurgency.
“Similarly, some high profile terrorist leaders, logistic facilitators, gunrunners and IED experts were also apprehended. During the operations, the following items were recovered: Semi automatic double barrels, cartridges, pump action rifles, locally made pistol, IED initiators, AK47 rifles, magazines, submachine guns, twenty among others.
“Additionally, economic saboteurs involved in diverting palliatives and agrochemicals were also apprehended. About 1,200 25kg bags of palliative rice and 48 bags of rice kit were recovered in one of such operations in Katsina. In the period under reference, the Service stepped up its counter efforts against fake news and disinformation.”
The DSS spokesman said: “ On July 9, Taraba State Intelligence Department operatives apprehended a six-man kidnapping syndicate in Mararaba Kunini, Lau Local Government Area. The operation yielded significant exhibits, including one AK-47 with 20 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, three SMG rifles with 20 rounds of live ammunition, one Mark 4 rifle with 10 rounds of live ammunition, and a white Starlet vehicle. The suspects will face court proceedings upon the conclusion of the investigation.
“In a parallel operation, the Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad of Taraba State command arrested a notorious kidnapper, seizing three AK-47 rifles, four magazines, 19 rounds of live ammunition, 23 expended rounds, and five solar panels from his premises. The Nigeria Police Force National Cyber Crime Centre (NPF-NCCC) tackled a massive financial fraud case, acting on a petition from Interswitch Limited regarding a glitch on its financial portal. The swift response led to the arrest of over 16 suspects, eight of whom have been convicted. The operation recovered over N3.9 billion, properties, and vehicles, with ongoing efforts to recover additional looted funds.
“Similarly, on July 4, Lagos State Command operatives thwarted an attack by a notorious kidnapping gang. In a fierce gun battle, nine kidnappers were neutralised, and significant weaponry, including four AK-47 rifles, four locally-made semi-automatic pistols, nine AK-47 magazines, three walkie-talkies, a POS machine, a loudspeaker, and two operational vehicles were recovered. Investigations continue to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
The Police Command in Edo State has arrested five suspected kidnappers for allegedly killing their victim, Smart Nwashiri, 29, after collecting a N200,000 ransom.
Briefing reporters in Benin City, the state capital yesterday, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Funsho Adegboye, said the suspects allegedly committed the crime in Ologbo community.
Adegboye said the suspects, who hail from Delta State, but reside in Edo, on June 17, lured the victim into their hideout on the pretence of selling vehicle spare parts to him.
The CP claimed that the victim might have been a serial receiver of stolen items from the suspects.
“They conspired, kidnapped the victim and demanded ransom of N1 million, but the victim could only offer N200,000 to them.
“The suspects (allegedly) stabbed the victim, several times, to death and buried him in a shallow grave to cover their heinous act,” the commissioner said.
The police boss said the weapon, the body and motorcycle of the victim had been recovered, adding that the suspects would soon be charged to court once investigation was completed.
In an interview, the gang leader said they killed the victim to avoid being caught because the man knew them.
More than a week after, the heroics of officers of the Lagos State Police command at busting the deadly kidnap gang terrorising some parts of mainland Lagos around the Ladipo Spare-parts market in Mushin remains talk of the town. IBRAHIM ADAM and UDEH ONYEBUCHI take a look at events of that night as well as events leading to it.
In a well-coordinated operation, which may have gone down as one of the most daring of police operations in Lagos in recent years, the Lagos State Police Command penultimate Thursday (July 4 2024) successfully busted a kidnapping gang; thwarting their mission on the night and neutralising nine of them in the process.
Most remarkable is the fact that despite the heavy exchange of firepower and the fact that the confrontation happened early evening in an otherwise bustling vicinity, there was not a single civilian casualty.
That operation also highlighted the State Police’s commitment to tackling and stamping out all crimes and ensuring public safety in the nation’s commercial capital.
Notably, the use of intelligence and preparation played a crucial role in thwarting the kidnappers’ daredevil mission, showcasing the ability and effectiveness of the Nigeria Police in high-stake situations.
Not even the arrest of the notorious kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike more popularly known as Evans, drew as much applause and appreciation as this Ladipo operation, chiefly because of its precision. For those who may not know, the Ladipo Auto Spare-parts Market area is a usually crowded area that hardly becomes desolate until late into the night, yet the police were able to quietly shepherd away this crowd before it commenced the operation that lasted about two hours.
Evans, it will be recalled, orchestrated multiple kidnappings in Lagos and Ogun states, and was wanted even in Edo, Delta and Anambra states, before he was captured in his Magodo mansion after a prolonged shootout.
However, this group of audacious kidnappers may have replaced him, focusing primarily on Lagos.
The gang members operated freely for over a year, targeting stupendously rich victims, from whom they collected humongous ransom in naira and dollars.
Their areas of operation included Ago Palace Way, Isolo, Okota, the popular auto spare parts market in Ladipo, Festac, and environs. Police sources say they usually disappeared through the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, meandering through the ever-busy Second Rainbow Bus stop and Apple Junction, and ending up in a yet-to-be-known enclave.
From there, they would negotiate the ransom for their victims before relocating out of the city. The difference in their mode of operation was that they always insisted on collecting nothing less than N1 billion or their victim would be killed.
Harrowing kidnappings
Since 2014, Nigeria has witnessed series of harrowing kidnappings, with Boko Haram’s 2014 and 2018 abduction of the Chibok and 100 Dapchi schoolgirls standing out as some of the most infamous.
The trend continued with the December 2020 abduction of over 300 boys in a school in Kankara, Katsina State by armed bandits. Their eventual release highlighted the growing influence of these groups in North-western Nigeria, who increasingly turned to mass kidnappings for ransom. Such events revealed the alarming expansion of banditry and the state’s struggle to curb the menace.
More recently, the spate of kidnapping has spread nationwide. March 2021 saw students abducted from Kaduna’s Federal College of Forestry Mechanization while May 2021 witnessed over 100 students taken from an Islamic school in Niger State. This is not forgetting the March 2022 Abuja passenger train incident, where 10 people were killed and 61 abducted.
These incidents reflect a deepening crisis, fuelled by poverty and inadequate security, perpetuating a climate of fear across the country.
On Saturday, June 15, 2024, four Lebanese nationals, including the Managing Director of Fouani Company, a key representative of LG and Hisense, were reportedly kidnapped in Lagos. The incident occurred in broad daylight, as the victims were ambushed while travelling by boat from Apapa to Victoria Island, near the Falomo Bridge. They were released after the kidnappers collected the sum of $1.5 million.
Night to remember
For the bad guys, it was a horrible night, but for the Nigeria Police and the good people of Lagos, law abiding citizens of Lagos, that Thursday July 4 will go down as a night to remember.
For about two hours, the police and the suspected kidnappers exchanged relentless gunfire. for those within ear-shot, it was like in the movies
Eyewitnesses report that the gun battle began around 8 p.m.; the initial thought was that robbers were targeting one of the many banks in the area.
Unexpectedly, Ladipo Road, known for its vibrant Auto Spare Parts Market and banking activities suddenly became a battleground. The usually bustling street fell silent, as shopkeepers shuttered their businesses while residents and passersby quickly sought available refuge for safety.
As the gun battle persisted, witnesses say police backup units arrived, intensifying the standoff.
The unsuspecting kidnappers had arrived the scene in their vehicles but on realising that they may have run into a police trap, started shooting frantically, not knowing that the whole area had been cordoned off by heavily armed policemen.
In the end, nine of the kidnappers were neutralised while two escaped with bullet wounds.
Reports say detectives held back from shooting at the fleeing gang members to avoid hitting the wrong targets. Bullets from the kidnappers’ weapons hit the engine of one police vehicle and also hit a policeman in the jaw. He has since been treated and discharged.
Their numerous crimes
The police say the gang, made up of trigger-happy criminals, kidnapped a businessman on April 10, 2023, in the Ikotun area of the state around 4 p.m., and the victim paid $8,000 as ransom.
The gang, which in most cases carried out its operations with a Lexus 350 SUV and 4 Runner jeep, kidnapped another businessman on the same date around 11:30 p.m. at Ago Okota, using the same vehicles and later collected a ransom of N5 million.
On April 23, 2023, the gang struck again; this time, they went to kidnap a popular millionaire who dealt in assorted drinks at Ago Okota. He reportedly paid nothing less than a billion naira, but the family hid it from the police on account of threats from the kidnappers. A similar fate befell another rich businessman at Ikotun the same day.
They later collected ransoms in three tranches of $6,000 and $3,600, and another N8million collected from another rich businessman, whom they abducted in the same Ikotun area.
Smooth Operation
The Lagos State Police Command Spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that the gang were on a mission to kidnap some wealthy individuals.
“Our intelligence-gathering assets yielded very credible and actionable intelligence about a dangerous and very notorious gang of kidnappers planning to kidnap some high-net-worth individuals in Lagos.
“Upon receipt of this intelligence about two weeks ago, CP Adegoke Fayoade directed the command’s tactical teams to commence work on it. They followed up closely, monitored dutifully, and were able to determine that the gang was going to strike yesterday in the Ladipo area of Lagos State.
“With the benefit of this information, we were able to proactively prepare for them and more or less laid an ambush for them. The kidnappers, who were caught unawares, would not give up easily, as they engaged the police officers in a shoot-out.”
The state PPRO added that: “They of course bowed to the superior firepower of the police. Nine of them were neutralised while two escaped with gunshot injuries. Four AK-47 rifles, four locally-made semi-automatic pistols, nine AK-47 magazines, three walkie-talkies, one POS machine, and a loudspeaker were recovered from them,”
Hundeyin said two operational vehicles, including one black Toyota 4Runner and a blue Lexus RX350, were recovered from the suspects, noting that the investigation was ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects.
“It is worthy of note that the command had been on the trail of this gang for the past eight months for their numerous kidnappings of wealthy individuals in the Isolo, Okota, Ejigbo, and Ladipo areas of Lagos State. We are proud to declare that their reign of terror has effectively come to an end.”
Some eyewitnesses account
One eyewitness recounted: “When the shooting started, we thought it was fireworks. Before the kidnappers could assemble themselves, the police fired at them. They were totally caught unawares. And the good thing? There were no civilian casualties. It was a well-planned operation.
“This was the first time we would be seeing such a smooth operation from the police without any casualty. It was as if we were watching a movie. The operation was clean, and the police hit their targets.”
Another eyewitness described the intensity of the encounter :”It was a serious gunfight that lasted close to two hours. When the exchange of fire was over, the police interviewed us, and we told them all we observed. They did well, and we praised them for their bravery.”
A third eyewitness shared a personal account of the moments leading up to the confrontation.
“In this life, you have to be careful because you don’t know who is sitting with you or talking to you. These men sat with me, and I never knew they were policemen. Around 8 pm, they identified themselves and asked us to pack and leave the area, which we did immediately. In less than 20 minutes, from a distance, we heard gunshots, which made me dive into the gutter. All I was praying for was for a bullet not to reach where I was. We thank God they were able to capture them, and we say thank you to them.”
Yul Edochie denies friendship with alleged kidnapper
Yul Edochie, the renowned Nigerian actor, has firmly denied any personal relationship with Henry Odenigbo, clarifying that their interaction was strictly professional and limited to a movie set.
Edochie emphasised that he only met Odenigbo during the filming of “Sharon’s Fate” in June and had no personal relationship with him.
He explained that Odenigbo had requested a photo with him during the production, which he granted, stating that it is the same photo that is being circulated across the social media space, sparking rumours of a friendship.
The actor expressed his shock upon learning about Odenigbo’s alleged criminal activities, insisting that he had no prior knowledge of the producer’s involvement in any illegal acts.
Edochie’s denial comes amid reports suggesting that Odenigbo was the leader of a kidnapping gang and had used his film production company as a front for his criminal operations.
“According to the police, the guy is a kidnapper. I’ve heard stories and noticed that some blogs posted my picture with him, implying he’s my friend. So, I want to state that the guy wasn’t my friend. I’ve been in Nollywood for 19 years, going on 20 years.
“I only saw this guy once when I shot a movie for him a few weeks ago. A director contracted me for a movie and paid me for a job. I even thought it was the director’s movie until I came to the set and met this guy.
“I think he called himself Ason-Rich Henry. He came to me, introduced himself as Ason-Rich Productions, and said his name was Henry.
”We greeted them, I shot the movie, and on the last day of shooting, he came to me and said he was so excited that he finally got to work with me. I think he also played a role in the movie. He asked if he could take a picture with me, and I said okay. We took pictures, and I left for the next set.
“That was the first time I saw him, and I never saw him again. That’s the picture a lot of people are circulating,” Edochie said.
Actors Guild deny movie producer
In a swift reaction, the Chairman of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Rivers State Chapter, Osuwa Chigozie, has dissociated the group from the filmmaker, Odenigbo, and three other persons who were also film practitioners.
The Guild, in a statement, said the three persons who died in the shootout with the police were not members.
“The Rivers State chapter of the Actors Guild of Nigeria at this moment disclaims any affiliation with the individuals who tragically lost their lives in a recent robbery incident in Lagos. Specifically, Prince Henry Asonna (Executive Producer of Aso Rich), Angel Emanuzo (Associate Producer), Chris Ahaneku (Logistics Manager-Aso Rich), and Jerry Eze (Camera Assistant) were not members of our guild. They were not part of our organisation.”
Similarly, AGN’s Financial Secretary, Emeka Duru, explained that none of the slain kidnappers were members of the guild.
Duru added that crediting the kidnappers to Nollywood because they made a movie is not doing justice to the industry.
“They didn’t belong to any organisation in Nollywood. They just came with their ill-gotten money and hired actors. An actor is not supposed to wake up and start asking you where you got your money from before he works for you.
“The people who were killed are not members of the Actors Guild of Nigeria. No soul has any business with the Actors Guild of Nigeria’s Rivers State chapter. The funniest thing about it was that the one they call the producer, the ringleader, is not.”
Frontline actors, including Kanayo O. Kanayo, have condemned the association of the kidnappers with Nollywood, stressing that Odenigbo and his associates were not recognised members of any legitimate film industry organisation. They urged the public to differentiate between genuine filmmakers and individuals using the industry as a front for nefarious activities.
Luck has run out on a kidnapping gang in Otukpo, Benue South Senatorial District, after some members of the gang were identified by one of their victims in a public bus.
Trouble began for the accused persons as they boarded a vehicle from Otukpo to Makurdi at Ihotu Park only to meet a girl they had kidnapped and released after collecting ransom.
Found with the accused persons was a bag they had collected from the girl when she was kidnapped.
The victim wasted no time in raising the alarm after holding one of the kidnappers inside the vehicle while two other members of the gang took to their heels but were caught by sympathisers.
It was later discovered that the Ghana-Must-Go bag the gang members kept at the back of the vehicle contained N11 million cash.
The Nation correspondent learnt that the said sum was counted at the police station.
An angry mob was about to set the kidnap suspects ablaze when the manager of Ihotu Park quickly called in soldiers and policemen to come to their rescue.
Investigation revealed that the three suspected kidnappers have been moved to the Benue State Police Command headquarters in Makurdi.
At press time, more victims of the gang had come to the police station to identify them.
The Benue State Police Command said investigation was ongoing to identify more of their victims with a view to charging the suspects to court soon.
There was tension on Monday night when gunmen invaded Bmuko, a community at Dutse Baupma in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and kidnapped four residents.
One of the residents of the community, an eyewitness, Isah, said the gunmen invaded the area around 11: 50 pm and headed to the residence of one Engineer Patrick, whose wife and brother were among those kidnapped.
According to him, the kidnappers who were more than 30 in numbers stormed Zone C, Road 5 of the community and shot sporadically before they broke into the house of the engineer and abducted two of the family members.
He explained: “From the engineer’s house, after carrying his wife and brother, they divided themselves into two groups. One group went towards the riverside that leads to Kubwa and Bwari, while the other group went towards the hillside.
“It was the group going towards the hillside that stopped at a nearby house, where they kidnapped a Pastor and another young man. We could not do anything, we were scared to death during the period of the operation”.
One of the leaders of the community, who preferred anonymity said they heard gunshots few minutes to 12am and one of the landlords living amongst them sent a voice note on their community platform that they were being attacked.
He said: “Swiftly, our security personnel came down, we had to make calls to the FCDA Police station, luckily we had intervention from them, and soldiers also came to our rescue. However, the whole thing turned to something else, as nobody was arrested.
“But the kidnappers went with three or four people. As we speak, the soldiers that went in search of them have returned without rescuing them. The policemen are still in the bush searching for them.
“We have been demanding for Police outpost here in the Bmuko community, this is a populated environment. Whatever is happening here is not out of the knowledge of the security architecture of the FCT”.
He emphasised that if they have Police patrolling at least three to four times in a week, it will reduce crime in the community.
“The wife and brother of one Engineer Patrick were also among the people that were kidnapped, and also a Pastor. The kidnappers came with AK47, because some of the guys during the night search picked up about two or three bullets of AK47,” he said.
When contacted to confirm the incident, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh promised to get back to our correspondent but as at when filing this report, she was yet to respond.
Which is why state police should get accelerated attention to better dominate un-policed spaces
For kidnap victims, it has not been the best of seasons, given the rash of kidnapping and even insane demand for ransom this past one week.
The relative ease with which kidnappers forcefully march hundreds of our compatriots into forests, as bait for huge ransom, is absolutely unacceptable. Still, there is no magic about it. A simple logic drives this heinous crime: too much of Nigeria’s vast territory is either un-policed or is guarded by rag-tag vigilantes, which arms peter to near-nothing against the awesome arms of bandits, terrorists and kidnappers.
That is why the 37 governments of the federation must hurry to consummate state police to drive the national security response, in a well and true federal format.
Needless to repeat: a centralized Nigeria Police is frail, given our current grave insecurity challenges. State police — for states that can afford it — should plug most of the holes, other things being equal, before tackling other specific local problems.
Kidnapping may be a national crisis. But the burden, this past week, has been rather heavy on the North, particularly North West and North East, not discounting the rampant terrorism and fatal community clashes in Plateau; and sundry violence in Niger and Nasarawa segments of North Central.
Clearly, the North now rocks under that quake.
On March 7, armed kidnappers surrounded the Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School, Kuriga, in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State. After, some 287 pupils and teachers were marched into the bush, as potent tools for bargain ransom. The compound also houses a secondary school: ironically in search of a more secure space, in light of the serious insecurity challenge in that locality — and then, the raid!
Sani Abdullahi, a newly recruited teacher witnessed the kidnapping on his first day in the school, though he escaped to tell the horror tale: “I resumed [assumed duty] at the school at exactly 7:47 am. I entered the Acting Principal’s office and signed,” he told a stunned Governor Uba Sani. “All of a sudden, the Acting Principal asked me to look at my back and when I turned, we discovered that bandits had surrounded the school premises.”
That was how teachers and pupils were frog-marched into the bush! Abdullahi, with some others, however later escaped to alert the village head, who later rallied their sorry security cells to try save the victims. That futile effort, however, led to the bandits killing at least one of the luckless vigilante corps.
On March 11, another 61 people were snatched by suspected terrorists in the Buda community of Kajuru Local Government of Kaduna State. Earlier on March 9, at around 1 am gunmen, assumed to be bandits, invaded a Qur’anic school in Gada Local Government Area of Sokoto State, seizing 16 pupils, widely called “Tsangaya pupils”: 15 males, one female.
Away from the North West, Amnesty International (AI) claimed 400 people were on March 8 abducted by suspected terrorists in Borno State (North East) — the epicentre of the now defanged Boko Haram. The number is disputed though, by Governor Babagana Zulum, who maintained the exact number was yet to be ascertained.
Still, the tragedy here is that the snatched were seized from the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps: Babban Sansani, in Zulum; and Arabic, in Gamboru Ngala. It’s a double tragedy: citizens fled their homes, running from Boko Haram, now kidnapped from IDP camps, supposed to be safe havens, with guaranteed security.
It cannot get worse but now is no time to despair. It’s instead time to act and act fast — and think even faster.
Talking about fast thinking: that audacious N1 billion demand by the bandits to release the Chikun 287, within 20 days or kill them all! That, to say the least, is cheeky, rippling with over-confidence, suggesting sheer impotence on the part of the government. But flipped, it could also be sheer desperation, powered by empty bluff.
The government should accept every help it can to call this bluff, free the abducted, and finally crush these felons. But it should also nurture and execute non-kinetic policies and programmes that war against poverty and create opportunities that shield angry youths from brain-washing and illicit indoctrination. It should also deploy technology: both to track the location of calls and eliminate hidden calls by criminals.
Still, why might suspected bandits be demanding N1 billion ransom at one fell swoop? It could well be that their terror infrastructure has been so smashed they wanted some windfall to re-arm. While the government should try everything possible to secure freedom for the victims — unharmed — paying a ransom might be procuring, for the criminals, arms and ammo for future kidnap raids. That joyfully tallies with the government’s publicly stated stand not to pay any ransom. We endorse it.
But that’s where actionable intelligence also comes in. That all of these raids have succeeded show the apparent collapse of intelligence, though we are in no position to know how many of such planned kidnaps prior intelligence had thwarted. The ugly thing about terrorism, however, is that the success of one raid — even if you abort 100 — gives the impression intelligence had collapsed. It’s not necessarily so.
Still, there is an imperative to further boost the intelligence network, if similar future kidnaps are to be curbed. That again brings the issue back state police.
State police can’t be effective, or even be complete, without a thriving intelligence network. Indeed, effective Intel ought to come with federalized police as a complete package: with adequate training, there appears more than enough “raw materials” for riled locals, pushed to the wall by bandit abuse, ready to “say something, if they see something”, to get rid of those pests.
With top-rate intelligence assured, the new layer of the federal policing network will take its critical place in the anti-terrorism, anti-banditry war.
As the military flush out hardened terrorists from their bastion (witness the fate of many Boko Haram commanders and cells), the Nigeria Police at the centre mop up the fleeing bands in the near-areas, while state police cadres, with arms upgraded by law, are embedded and positioned to decision fleeing terrorists to far-flung areas. Many of those, escaping with small arms, wreak havoc on locals, via opportunistic raids.
Again, there are ample vigilante cells in the affected northern states, that could be retrained and absorbed into the new state police, after the governments have carried out due diligence; but not before the trainees have passed a rigorous test of character.
Indeed, state police is the clear missing link in the terror war. Otherwise, terrorists escaping from the Boko Haram epicenter of the North East, or bandits fleeing from the heat of Zamfara, would not have found comfy homes elsewhere, if yet another cadre of state police had effectively dominated the remotest of places.
No rest even for the dead as abductors hold both corpse and mourners for ransom
Stories emanating from different parts of Nigeria get ever more bizarre by the day such that, many times, real life seems stranger than fiction. We have in recent times had reported in the media tales of youngsters killing and harvesting vital organs of their purported loved ones for ritual purposes. We’ve heard the story of a young man who killed his girlfriend and slept with her corpse for seven days on the directive of a herbalist in a quest to get rich quick. We have also read the story of some family members arranging the kidnap of their relatives and demanding hefty ransoms.
As a matter of fact, there have even been cases of individuals arranging their own kidnap, in cahoots with others, again in a cynical desire to make money. Of course, cases of kidnapping across the country have become a routine affair to the extent that many Nigerians are becoming desensitised to the severity and venality of this crime.
In a recent incident, the criminals kidnapped a couple and still had the temerity to demand ransom payment for the release of the wife after killing the husband.
However, a recent kidnap case which occurred in Enugu State is particularly bizarre because, among the victim this time around was a corpse. According to media reports, the deceased, Ugwanyi Israel, from Ameze Owerre, in Umabor community of Nsukka Local Government Area of the state, was being conveyed home for burial when the kidnappers struck around Umoka Audi Local Government Area of the state. The corpse, driver and some others in the vehicle were whisked away by the kidnappers who later called members of the family and demanded a ransom of N50 million before their release. Although wicked and unjustifiable, the kidnap of the living can still be analysed and rationalised. But what do we make of the abduction of a corpse and the demand for payment for its release?
From all indications, this was an insider job organised by those with some degree of intimate knowledge of the sorrowing family. Hence, the abductors knew the movement and plans for the burial, enabling them to successfully actualise their evil plan. The abductors of the corpse and grieving family members were obviously playing on the sentimental and emotional attachment by people in most Nigerian communities to giving their departed loved ones what they perceive to be a befitting burial. This is a duty the living believe they owe the dead, and many families spend humongous amounts of money in organising elaborate burial ceremonies for their dead.
It is an indication of the ever- worsening heartlessness, cynicism and sadism in our society that criminals inflict this kind of emotional trauma on families of their victims. They are aware that family members derive a measure of emotional fulfillment from being able to point to where the remains of their loved ones are buried, and prey on this.
Underlying the near daily acts of kidnapping for ransom and assorted cases of ritual killings for wealth in the country is the craze for material acquisition at all cost.
This perverse desire is also fuelled by the extravagant lifestyle of many who have accumulated stupendous wealth without necessarily engaging in any discernible productive activities. It is incumbent not just on government but also families, community leaders, schools, religious bodies, the media, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to contribute their quota towards a fundamental change in our scale of values as a people.
The astronomical surge in criminality in contemporary Nigeria can also not be dissociated from the pervasive and continually deepening mass poverty, even as a tiny minority exhibit conspicuous wealth. It is impossible for the poverty that fuels crime to be eradicated when humongous funds that are supposed to be expended on achieving this objective are criminally appropriated by a conscienceless minority.
But it remains a mystery that kidnappers all over the country can negotiate freely on their telephones for ransom payments by family members without being tracked and nabbed, despite the availability of modern technology to do so.
Police arrests more suspects in connection with killing of Nabeeha, other crimes
Police operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command attached to the Anti-kidnapping unit have raided two kidnappers’ camps bordering Nasarawa and Abuja via Kuje area council and arrested one Saidu Abdulkadir popularly known as Dahiru Adamu.
He was arrested at about 12 am on Thursday.
Abdulkadir is the alleged gang leader and one of the wanted suspects of the kidnapping syndicate paraded by the Police Command on Wednesday.
Wike said this while speaking at the Police Command in FCT, where 15 arrested suspected kidnappers and one chance rubbers were paraded.
The bounty was in response to the Police Commissioner’s remarks that two other criminals were still on the run, adding that the police were on their trail.
The rescued victims
According to a statement issued on Friday by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, the bandits, on sighting the police operatives, opened fire and engaged the police in an intense gun duel but were eventually overpowered by the police, as one Habu Yakubu and Isufu Abubakar, earlier abducted from Kwaita village via Pegi District of Kuje area council, were rescued unhurt and the suspect arrested.
Adeh said: “Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect masterminded the kidnap and killing of one Mr Sunday Yahaya Zakwai, the district head of Ketti village.
“While effort is still on to apprehend the other wanted suspects on the run, the Commissioner of Police FCT, CP Benneth C. Igweh psc, mni, wishes to reassure criminals in the FCT that there is no hiding place for them.
“He equally urges residents to report suspicious activities through the following emergency lines: 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653, and 08028940883; PCB: 09022222352″.
