The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kidnapping

  • IGP wants death penalty for kidnapping

    IGP wants death penalty for kidnapping

    The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, on Wednesday urged the National Assembly to enact stringent laws on kidnapping.

    Idris said kidnapping is thriving because there are no laws in place to tackle the menace.

    He stated these during the monthly meeting with Commissioners of Police and other senior officers of the Force in Abuja.

    He said: “When I went to the National Assembly, I told them that what we need to challenge kidnapping is punishment. I think these boys see us parade people but they don’t see them taken to court or sentenced to death.

    “In some states where kidnapping leads to death of somebody, the penalty is death but they only see the court sentencing such persons to 10 years or life imprisonment.

    “I feel that is why they feel more relaxed and I told the National Assembly that we need to have more stringent punishment for kidnappers. I think that is the only way to check the menace because they see it as child’s play.

    “If you go all over the Command across the states, you would discover that some of these youths are getting more involved in kidnapping. Like I told the National Assembly, I believe if we can get laws to check it, we are going to see several changes.

    “In Niger Republic, a Boko Haram suspect was arrested and within one week, judgement was passed. That sent a very strong message that whoever that is planning to go into it should desist but here, we have suspects year in, year out, appearing in in court and matter continually adjourned.

    “It does not serve as deterrent to them and even most of them kept in police cells are more comfortable there. So, I think to address the level of kidnapping in the country, a law should be passed.”

     

     

     

  • Kidnapping: Police deploy 600 special forces in Abuja-Kaduna highway

    Kidnapping: Police deploy 600 special forces in Abuja-Kaduna highway

    •We lost 18 men trying to expose kidnappers, say locals
    •Five paraded for abduction of Kogi governor’s mother

    The Police High Command has deployed 600 special forces and 90 high calibre patrol vehicles to curb increasing cases of kidnapping on Abuja-Kaduna highway, it was learnt yesterday.

    Army and the Police have also constituted a joint operation to arrest crimes on the same road.

    Senate Leader Senator Ahmed Lawan told his colleagues yesterday that the Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idriss, briefed the Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Police Affairs about the latest efforts to arrest kidnapping on the road.

    But, the Force spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood, named the deployment as Operation Absolute Sanity.

    Moshood, while parading five suspected kidnappers yesterday in Abuja, said: “The Joint Police Team are under  specific and definite mandate to root out the kidnap for ransom gangs and armed robbery gangs that have being terrorising the Abuja-Kaduna highway in the recent times.

    “The operations is to complement and augment the on-going Joint Police and Military operations on ground before now.”

    To achieve success of the operations, DIG in charge of Operations Joshak Habilla has been mandated to supervise the operation as overall commander.

    The Deputy Commissioner of Police In-Charge of the Police Mobile Force would be the grand commander of the operations.

    The team is expected to stop other violent crimes such as armed robbery, car snatching on the expressway.

    Moshood added: “Police helicopters will embark on aerial surveillance and guided missions to assist the personnel on the ground in covering difficult terrains.

    “The IG urges members of the public, most especially commuters, travellers, road users and people in the towns and villages on Abuja-Kaduna Highway not to panic on the mass deployment of police personnel, but to assist and cooperate with the police personnel in the discharge of their responsibilities.”

    But, the people of Rijana community on the Kaduna-Abuja highway yesterday told Minister of Interior Lt-Gen Abdulrahman Danbazzau (rtd) why kidnappings persisted on the highway.

    They said intelligence information divulged to security agents were not treated with secrecy and often led to killings of the informants.

    The community, however, said synergy with security personnel in the area could no longer be guaranteed, as 18 members of the area, who attempted to expose the activities of the deadly kidnappers, were killed.

    The minister declared kidnappers operating on the highway as terrorists that must be crushed by all means.

    The former Army chief, who was in Rijana on what he called fact-finding mission, called for synergy between the locals and the security operatives deployed to the area by the Federal Government.

    The police authorities yesterday paraded five suspected kidnappers for their involvement in the kidnap of mother of Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.

    The governor’s mother, Hajia Hawawu Bello, was kidnapped in 2014 by a former councillor, Iliyasu Suleiman and his gang members.

    Other suspects paraded were: Danjuma Ibrahim, Iliyasu Obadaki, Alhaji Nasiru, Hafiz Yakubu and Mohammed Jamiu, who was killed during a gun duel with Special Anti-Robbery Squad  (SARS) operatives.

    Items recovered from them include two AK 47 rifles, 20 live cartridges, Army uniforms, two plastic guns, three sharp knives, one axe and assorted charms.

    Moshood said the suspects were also responsible for other kidnappings and robberies in Abuja, Niger and Kogi states.

  • Police parades 50 suspected criminals in Edo

    Police parades 50 suspected criminals in Edo

    Edo State Police Command Thursday paraded 50 persons arrested for various crimes ranging from murder, kidnapping, armed robbery and illegal possession of firearms.

    The suspects were among those arrested between April and July in Edo State.

    State Commissioner of Police, Haliru Gwandu, who paraded the suspects, said it was information provided by members of the public that led to the breakthrough.

    Gwandu stated that many other suspects arrested within the period under review have been charged to court.

    He said large quantity of firearms including 132 live cartridges,126 rifles,two double barrel guns, 11 vehicles were recovered within the period under review.

    Among the suspects paraded was a 19-year old confessed killer teenager, Uyimwen Lawrence.

    Lawrence said he has killed two persons who are members of rival cult group and left others injured.

  • Kaduna Police parade 55 kidnapping, armed robbery

    Kaduna Police parade 55 kidnapping, armed robbery

    Kaduna State Police command has paraded 55 suspects arrested for various criminal offences including kidnapping, armed robbery, rape and money doubling.

    The command also condemned the recent reprisal attack in Kajuru local government area of the state that claimed several lives, describing it has barbaric.

    The police however confirmed that 32 persons, mostly women and children were killed in the reprisal attack between groups of youths and Fulani in Kajuru Local Government Area of the state.

    The suspects who are mostly youths between 15 and 23 years of age according to the command were arrested while carrying out their nefarious activities along Kaduna-Abuja, Kaduna-Zaria and Kaduna-Birnin Gwari highways.

    Though the police said the suspects are many, 55 were counted while they were been paraded before newsmen by the Police Commissioner, Mr. Agyole Abeh at the command’s headquarters in Kaduna on Wednesday.

    The Commissioner  said within the last two weeks, fight against crime and criminality has paid off with the arrest of several criminal suspects involved in crime which include armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms, rape, Sara-Suka, kidnapping, cattle rustling, counterfeit US dollars printing among others.

  • Kidnapping: Navy to focus on riverine areas

    Kidnapping: Navy to focus on riverine areas

    The Nigerian Navy (NN) yesterday said it would focus attention on back waters in order to flush out kidnappers.

    Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command (WNC) Rear Admiral Sylvanus Abba stated this after taking over the headship of the command from his predecessor, Rear Admiral Ferguson Bobai.

    Rear Admiral Abba, who noted the trend of kidnapping pupils in school near  waterside adopted by dislodged militants, said it would not tolerate the use of the waterway for criminality.

    According to the Admiral, kidnappers are not ghosts and they live within the society.

    The FOC also said the command would ensure that illegal oil bunkerers, thieves no longer find a ready market within Lagos area by blocking all their gateways.

    He said: “NN’s job a constitutional responsibility that must be carried out. We have sworn to defend this nation and we have no option than to carryout the mandate. The people of Nigeria expects that much from us.

    “There are new dimensions to kidnapping. The criminals now target school children and so, we must focus attention around riverine areas.

    “Kidnappers are not spirits. They leave among us. If you see an unemployed person building mansion, tell security agencies so that he can be investigated.

    “Can we say we do not know criminals? The media should help us so that we can carryout out mandate.

    Those who do illegal bunkering and oil theft market their products in Lagos. If we block that route, the business will die. But if we don’t, it will continue to thrive.”

    Soliciting the corporation of his officers and men, Abba urged them to be alive to their duties.

    Reviewing his tour of duty in WNC, Bobai said the mandate of Operation AWATSE when he took over last April was to flush out militants

    “We started cleaning up from Ijedodo towards Mosomi, along the 72km pipeline. That was really our mandate from the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). Fortunately, at that time, the NNPC pipeline was undergoing maintenance and not receiving products.

     

     

     

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  • ‘Evans’ detention was justifiable’

    ‘Evans’ detention was justifiable’

    •‘Interpol probing suspects’ activities in Ghana, South Africa’

    The rate of kidnapping has dropped following the arrest of Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike (a.k.a Evans), police said at the weekend.

    Police spokesman Moshood Jimoh, who spoke with The Nation in Abuja, said the International Police (Interpol) was investigating  Evans’ activities.

    He said: “When we paraded him (Evans) in Lagos, I told the public that the arrest of Evans marked the beginning of the end for kidnapping.

    “Since that day, the rate of kidnapping has seriously gone down and that shows that we were able to hit the right target.

    “As for keeping him (in custody), we have been able to secure three months’ remand warrant from the Federal High Court, Abuja to enable us to round off our investigations.

    “At present, the contacts and crimes he committed in other countries, including Ghana and South Africa, are of interest.

    “We have series of complaints that border on murder, several kidnappings and armed robberies against him and these are all capital offences that are not bailable at the level of the police.

    “They are not even ordinarily bailable in the courts.”

    Jimoh said Evans’ detention was justifiable and there would be no need to rush his case and make mistakes that would disappoint Nigerians.

    “In his alleged offences, the lives of Nigerians were at stake and we must be able to get everything to ensure that we don’t lose the case in the courts.

    “For any sensible police force, it won’t be appropriate to rush to court in a complex case like this because the investigation is a scientific approach to actually situate a suspect at the scene of a crime and convince the court that this is the person that did this and that.

    “That is why it is important that we are meticulous in putting details together and explaining how someone committed atrocities such that at the end of the day, Nigerians will be happy with us if the suspect is convicted of all the offences he committed alongside other members of his gang.

    “Nigerians will not be happy with us if we rush to court and lose the case on mere technicalities.

    “We are mindful of that as well as his fundamental human rights. That is why we approached the courts for a three-month remand warrant to keep him in police custody,” Jimoh explained.

    He stated that Nigeria’s membership of Interpol and its platform’s responsibilities necessitate active collaboration on the Evans case and the investigation of associated issues.

    “We are very active on the platform of Interpol. If you can recall, it was revealed that he (Evans) has a Ghanaian international passport and the passport is still very valid.

    “There are clear indications of the level of criminality that goes across the border.

    “So, we will do what is just in that circumstance and after completing investigations, we will be able to know where we will share experience and ideas with various jurisdictions involved and we will all know how to deal with the matter.

    “Yes, Interpol is already fully involved and we are all out to do a thorough job and it is in the interest of the public because such high-level suspects should not continue walking the streets and committing such atrocities.

    “We hope to ensure that the cause of justice is served at the end of the day,” Jimoh said.

  • Abia govt demolishes twin brothers’ houses for alleged kidnapping

    TWO houses belonging to twin brothers suspected to be kidnappers, Chinenye and Chigozie Isreal, who hail from Umuerim Nsirimo in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State have been demolished by the state government. A shop belonging to one of the wives of the suspects was also demolished .

    The state government equally demolished a drinking joint in NdumeOtuka in Umuahia North Local Government Area where kidnapers reportedly use as rendezvous. Speaking to newsmen at the end of the demolition exercise, the Special Adviser to the governor on security, Capt. Awa Udonsi Agwu, said the buildings were pulled down because of kidnapping activities. He explained that it is a law in Abia State that any location owned by kidnappers or where they use for their activities or meeting point would be demolished.

    Agwu advised youths in the state to take their studies seriously and desist from going into crime as whatever wealth they make will soon vanish. He commended the level of support the government had received from people in the localities in form of intelligence and appealed to those in the urban areas to come up with more credible information to help government in fishing out criminals.

    The Commissioner of Police in Abia State, CP AdeleyeOyebade in a telephone interview described the demolition exercise as a continuous one which is in compliance with the law passed by the Abia State House of Assembly . He further disclosed that more houses used as kidnappers’ hideouts which have been identified by his men were also going to be brought down soon. Oyebade used the opportunity to warn kidnappers in the state or those that are considering coming into the state to carry out their nefarious act to have a rethink on how to be useful to themselves and the society and warned that the police would not hesitate to apply the full weight of the law on anybody caught in the act or using his or her house as a hideout for kidnappers or where kidnapped victims are kept.

  • Kidnappers den demolished in Abia

    Kidnappers den demolished in Abia

    Two houses belonging to suspected kidnappers, Chinenye and Chigozie Isreal twins from Umuerim Nsirimo in Umuahia South LGA and property worth thousands of naira  in the shop of one of the wives of the kidnappers, have been demolished by the Abia state government in line with its laws.

    Also demolished in Ndume Otuka in Umuahia North LGA is a drinking joint where kidnappers use as rendezvous.

    Speaking to newsmen at the end of the demolition exercise, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, capt. Awa Udonsi Agwu said the buildings were pulled down because of kidnapping activities.

     He explained that it is a law in Abia state that any location owned by kidnappers or where they use for their activities or meeting point will be demolished.

     The Security Adviser advised youths to take their studies seriously and desist from going into crime as whatever wealth they make will soon vanish.

     He commended the level of support the government has received from people in the localities in form of intelligence and appealed to those in the urban areas to come up with more credible information to help government in fishing out criminals.

    In his speech, the executive chairman, Umuahia South LGA, Obioma Ogbulafor said the state government through the exercise has sent a clear signal to men of the underworld that Abia is not safe for them and urged kidnappers in the state to relocate.

     

    Some of the locals who spoke including the youth leader and vigilante chairman of Umuerim community said the demolition of the buildings will serve as deterrent to other youths who may want to go into crime and lauded the state government for coming to their rescue as the kidnappers have been a source of threat to the community.

     The Commissioner of Police in Abia State, CP Adeleye Oyebade in a telephone interview described the demolition exercise as a continuous one and in compliance with the law passed by the Abia State House of Assembly which ordered that the house of anybody caught in the act of kidnapping would be brought down.

     He further disclosed that more houses used as kidnappers’ hideouts which have been identified by his men were also going to be brought down soon.

    Oyebade used the opportunity to warn kidnappers in the state or those that are considering coming into the state to carry out their nefarious act to have a rethink on how to be useful to themselves and the society and warned that the police would not hesitate to apply the full weight of the law on anybody caught in the act or using his or her house as a hideout for kidnappers or where kidnapped victims were being kept.

  • Kidnapping: 600 policemen deployed in Abuja/Kaduna expressway

    Kidnapping: 600 policemen deployed in Abuja/Kaduna expressway

    The Police force has deployed 600 men and 90 vehicles to patrol the Abuja-Kaduna highway as part of efforts to combat kidnapping.

    Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Federal Operations Habila Joshak said the tactical operation, which is a continuation of Operation Maximum Safety, consists of 500 regular officers and men, and 100 intelligence officers.

    The DIG explained that 60 of the patrol vehicles will be dedicated to patrolling the Kaduna-Abuja highway, while the remaining 30 will patrol the Kaduna-Zaria axis of the road.

    Joshak urged the team to safeguard the highway for motorists and commuters.

    He said: “I assure Nigerians that we will not have any situation that will overwhelm us. We will be robust in our actions as we won’t only be on the highway, but Nigerians will see our actions.

    “We have done it before and we will do it again. There will be no more kidnapping on this road.”

    The personnel, deployed from 11 state commands, will be stationed at Rijana, a notorious hub for kidnappers and cattle rustlers.

  • Kidnapping: Police nab most wanted suspect in Lagos

    Kidnapping: Police nab most wanted suspect in Lagos

    The Inspector-General’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT) led by ACP Abba Kyari on Saturday said it has arrested one of the most wanted suspected kidnappers in Lagos.

    Kyari, who confirmed the arrest to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that the suspect was arrested at his Magodo residence in Lagos.

    “IRT headquarters in Abuja is celebrating the arrest of the most wanted brilliant and notorious high profile kidnapper in Nigeria.
    “He has collected several billions of Naira as ransom in the last seven years as the kingpin of kidnappers.

    “He was arrested at about 1.00p.m on Saturday in his residence in Magodo Estate, Lagos,” Kyari said.

    He commended the Force Headquarters for mobilising the resources to go all out against the “richest and most notorious kidnapper” in the history of Nigeria.

    Kyari said the Inspector-General had directed that the suspect should be paraded before newsmen on Sunday in Lagos. (NAN)