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Tag: kidnappers

  • Police arrest 14 ‘robbers’, ‘kidnappers’ 

    Operatives of the Inspector-General of Police (IG) Intelligence Response Team (IRT) have arrested 14 suspected robbers and kidnappers.

    A police source said they attacked motorists and others on the Kaduna-Kano highway.

    The suspects, including three siblings – Sunday Jatau, 35, Solomon Jatau, 40 and Ayuba Jatau 32 – were nabbed yesterday.

    The Nation learnt the suspects were responsible for the death of a senior lecturer at Nasarawa State University, Dr. Ibrahim Mailafia.

    He was killed on November 3 on the highway on his way to Kano to see his family after getting a PhD in Artificial intelligence from the United Kingdom (UK).

    Others arrested were Ishaku Luka, 42, alias Dogo; Bature Adamu, 38; Bello Abdullahi, 32; Mamuda Mohammed, 27; Ibrahim Daniel, 27; Emmanuel Garba, 27; Usman Mohammed, 35; Ibrahim Baba, 49; Bello Aliyu, 36; Surajo Mohammed, 35 and Hassan Ibrahim, 55.

    The source said two AK47 rifles, a pistol, and a phone belonging to Dr. Mailafia, were recovered from the suspects.

    He said Sunday Jatau confessed to be the gang leader,  and that he killed the lecturer.

    “The suspects confessed to robberies, kidnappings and killings on the highways of Kaduna, Kano and Niger states. Two AK47 rifles loaded with ammunition, a baretta pistol and stolen vehicles, phones, including the iPhone of the late Dr. Mailafia, were recovered from them. Efforts to arrest more suspects and recover weapons are on.”

  • Mob rescues woman from suspected kidnappers, ritualists

    A mob yesterday rescued a 22-year-old woman, Abidemi Omoniyi, from a gang of suspected kidnappers, ritualists at Agege, Lagos.

    Omoniyi, a front desk officer at a hotel in Omole Phase I, boarded an unpainted taxi around 7am at  Egbatedo Bus Stop enroute Pen Cinema.

    The woman, who said she started screaming as soon as she realised she joined a wrong vehicle, told reporters that the driver, Emeka Okeke his accomplices told her she would be taken to Ibadan where a customer was waiting to buy her vital organs.

    She said: “I had opted for the vehicle because there were too many people at the bus stop and no tricycle was going to Pen Cinema.  So when the vehicle came and said the fare was N100, I just joined it.  It was only the driver and a woman that were in when I joined. Few metres away, two others entered the vehicle pretending to be passengers.

    “I knew I entered a wrong vehicle immediately the driver started telling the female passenger (Blessing Nwaeze) that she did not lock his boot properly. He said the woman did not tell him she had dollars in the boot and for that reason, everyone in the car would share it.

    “As soon as I heard that, I told myself these were fraudsters and I asked them to drop me. But they refused. The next thing, the woman held me and the old man (Monday Onwuka) started fondling my breast. The driver brought out a simcard and put inside a phone and called someone that they were on their way with the items.

    “They told me they will cut off my breasts and other parts and that a customer was already waiting for us at Ibadan. The old man said I will die today that no matter how I screamed, no one will hear my voice.

    “Fortunately, there was a man that has been observing what was happening. The driver got to a busy spot and raised the alarm. He said he has been hearing my voice and it seemed I was shouting for help. He asked them who I was and the woman immediately said I was her younger sister and that our parents said they should bring me home.

    “I told the man I do not know them and that I had entered the vehicle thinking it was a taxi. That I only have my makeup kits in the bag I was carrying and not clothes as they claimed.

    “That was when people gathered and started beating them. They were four but one was able to escape while the other three were beaten and handed over to the police.”

    But the suspects denied being kidnappers, insisting that they were just fraudsters looking for who to swindle.

    Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal who paraded the suspects, said investigations were ongoing.

  • Suspected kidnappers kill three policemen

    … abduct expatriates

    Three policemen were on Wednesday killed and some expatriates whose identities are yet to be known were abducted by unidentified gun men along Sokoto-Bodinga road in Sokoto state.

    Eye witness account said the victims met their waterloo in the morning hours after an exchange of gun fire with police personnel along Bodinga road.

    It was gathered that security personnel were swiftly drafted to strategic locations and major streets for stop and search on vehicles coming in and outside the state.

    Read Also: Murder: Zakzaky taken to court in Kaduna amid tight security

    Reports also revealed that the kidnapped expatriates were working with an engineering firm,Triacta Nigeria Limited, the construction firm handling Sokoto – Jega – Koko Federal road project.

    However, the Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO), of the Command, DSP Cordelia Nwawe who confirmed the incident, said investigation was ongoing, assuring that soon the state police command will brief the press on the incident.

  • Ekiti PDP Chief abducted, kidnappers demand N30m ransom

    Unknown gunmen have kidnapped the Financial Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, Mr. Kayode Oni.

    Oni was reportedly seized at a location between Efon and Erio at about 4.30 pm on Saturday on his way back to Aramoko, headquarters of Ekiti West Local Government Area.
    He was said to be returning from Efon where he officiated in the PDP local government Congress.

    Ekiti PDP spokesman, Mr Jackson Adebayo, disclosed to reporters on Sunday that the kidnappers had established contact with the
    victim’s wife and younger brother and demanded a sum of N30 million as ransom.

    He revealed that Oni, who was in his car alongside his daughter and grandson, was waylaid by his captors and whisked to an unknown destination.

    According to him, only Adebayo was taken away to the kidnappers’ hideout leaving behind other occupants of the vehicle.

    Adebayo said: “He went to conduct our Local Government Congress in Efon Alaaye and was abducted while returning to Aramoko.

    “The family had been contacted , but they told the abductors that even the entire family can’t raise N1m and they were requesting for a staggering sum of N30m to secure his freedom.

    “The family told us reliably that they have made formal complaint at the police station in Efon about the situation and they promised to take actions.

    “Our party is not resting as well. We are making contact to ensure that his safety is guaranteed in the kidnappers’ den.”

    The State Police Command was yet to make official pronouncement on the incident at time of filing this report.

  • 750 rustlers, kidnappers renounce violence

    Seven hundred and fifty criminals, including cattle rustlers, bandits and kidnappers in Anchau, Kubau Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have renounced their trade.

    Four hundred of the 700  swore by the Qur’an three weeks ago. The others took the oath last Saturday.

    Commissioner of Police Austin Iwar said the repentant criminals took the oath after intensive dialogue involving community leaders, adding that they took advantage of the opportunity given by the government and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris.

    Iwar added that the repentant criminals will hand over their weapons.

    He, however, said the arms recovery would not be made public so as to build trust and encourage others to repent.

    “I assure you that very soon we will begin to recover most of these arms, as some of the criminals have volunteered to handover their arms back, but not in public.”

    “One of the strategies we decided to adopt is to see how we can get across to some communities leaders through community policing.

    “If you want to solve a problem, you have to work with the people who created the problem. We also held series of meetings with hunters as a prelude to the activities we call Renouncing Violence Strategies.”

    Iwar described the event as very important to the efforts being made to restore peace and stability in the state.

    “Having young people roaming the bush and committing all forms of crimes, come out to renounce violence, swear by the Qur’an not to go back is very important.

    “You will understand that it is a very difficult decision for a criminal to come out in public and announce the atrocities he has been doing.”

    Head of Anchau Vigilance Service Audu Sallau lauded security operatives for their support.

    He said: “None of the repentant criminals was forced to do so; they voluntarily saw reason to renounce violence, and since the start of the programme, our communities are now relatively peaceful.”

    The ceremony was witnessed by security agencies including Army, police and civil defence.

  • Suspected kidnappers abduct MFM pastor’s daughter

    A 13-year-old secondary school pupil in Akure, Ondo State capital, Belove Olatunde, has been abducted by suspected kidnappers.

    Belove, said to be a daughter of the Regional Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries (MFM), in Akure, was reportedly kidnapped after leaving school last Monday.

    The Nation learnt that the girl lived with her mother in Ologede, Akure.

    It was gathered that detectives have begun investigation into the incident to rescue the girl.

    The Deji of Akure, Oba Ogunlade Aladetoyinbo, urged residents to ensure that the girl is found.

    The monarch, who decried the incident, implored security agents to rescue the girl.

    The victim’s mother, Mrs. Christiana Olatunde, said her daughter, who attended Ileriayo Private School, Akure left home last Monday but had not returned.

    Olatunde, a pastor in the church, said the police and other security agents were aware of the kidnap.

    She said: Our house is not too far from the school. The pupils close at 4pm. We went to the school and it was confirmed that she attended school that day.

    ‘’She was said to have collected a vest distributed for the inter-house sports.”

    Police spokesman Femi Joseph, who confirmed the abduction, said the police have begun investigation.

    He said: “Our operatives will rescue her.”

  • Police recover assorted weapons from 22 suspected criminals in Niger

    No fewer than 22 criminals including armed robbers, kidnappers, cattle rustlers were yesterday paraded by the police in Niger State.

    Recovered from the suspects were three AK49 rifles, ten AK47 rifles, 20 pump action rifles, two double-barreled gun, 20 locally made guns,one locally-made revolver pistol using AK47 ammunition,184 AK47 ammunition, one  Peugeot 407 saloon car stolen from a member of the, Federal House of Representatives.

    Parading the suspects at Sabon Wuse, Niger State, the Force Public Relations Officers, Jimoh Moshood disclosed that the suspects were arrested in various parts of Niger, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Zamfara ‘’for kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, car snatching, cattle rustling and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms.’’

  • Police kill six suspected kidnappers

    Men of the Ogun State Police Command have shot dead six suspected kidnappers.

    This followed a raid on their hideout in the forest of Fidiwo corridor of the Lagos -Ibadan expressway.

    The suspects, who had been on the command’s wanted list for months because of their   nefarious activities, were killed yesterday.

    A source said policemen, acting on technical intelligence and investigation reports, stormed the forest.

    The source said the suspects opened fire on them and during the gun duel, six suspected kidnappers were killed and two security operatives were injured.

    Police spokesman Abimbola Oyeyemi said in a statement that the suspects had abducted two doctors with the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, who were travelling to Lagos for a programme.

    He added that the doctors were rescued by operatives of the Federal Special Anti- Robbery Squad (FSARS).

    Oyeyemi said one double barrel shot gun, one single barrel long gun, live cartridges and expended ones, charms and cutlasses were recovered from the suspects.

  • Pregnant woman abducted in Osun, escapes from kidnappers’ den in Ogun

    Pregnant woman abducted in Osun, escapes from kidnappers’ den in Ogun

    A woman, Janet Oyewole, who was allegedly abducted in Osun State by suspected ritual killers has miraculously escaped from his abductors in Ado Odo community in Ogun State.

    Oyewole, according to sources had been hypnotised by her abductors, but she managed to disclose where the incident happened and her name.

    She was said to have launched into incoherent words after narrating her ordeal to bystanders shortly after her escape from kidnappers’s den.

    Our correspondent gathered that sympathizers contributed money and clothings for Oyewole, while efforts had been made to trace her family.

    A resident, Wale Hammed said: ”We saw the woman roaming the streets and at a point she stood at a junction for hours before people accosted her to know what she was looking for.

    ”She then explained that she was abducted by some unidentified persons in Oshogbo while she was returning home from an outing and blindfolded to an unknown destination.

    ”She told us that miraculously escaped from kidnappers’ den when her abductors went adding that she could find her way back home. She however became incoherent after narrating her ordeal.

    ”We would try to help her locate her family or husband and possibly invite the police to link her up with her family members.”

  • ‘We ‘ll treat armed herdsmen as robbers, kidnappers’

    ‘We ‘ll treat armed herdsmen as robbers, kidnappers’

    Delta Police Commissioner Mr. Muhammed Mustafa has said armed herdsmen will be treated as robbers and kidnappers.

    He said: “We have real herdsmen, who are law-abiding, but any herdsman seen carrying arms should be taken as a criminal. He will be treated as a robber or kidnapper.”

    Mustafa, who spoke yesterday in Asaba, the Delta State capital, said the command had stepped up measures to recover illegal arms in the possession of herdsmen.

    He said: “We have set up a task force headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Peter Wagbara.”

    Mustafa said a 21-day grace period, which starts from March 1, has been given to people to surrender illegal arms to the command through area commanders.

    He listed the affected persons as members of vigilance groups and neighbourhood watch, town unions, hunters, night guards and herdsmen.

    Mustafa said at the expiration of the ultimatum, anyone found in possession of illegal arms would be arrested, investigated and prosecuted.