POLICE SMASH GANG WHO KIDNAPPED AMBASSADOR BAGUDU HIRSE.
Police authorities at Force headquarters on Monday paraded the kidnappers of Former minister of state for foreign affairs, Bagudu Hirse and several other prominent Nigerians.
Leader of the gang disclosed that they collected the dollar equivalent of #10million ransom before the former Minster was released.
“We demanded for a ransom of #50million. When the wife provided #10million, we told them to change it to dollars” the gang leader, Dominic Nwakpa aka Alhaji said.
Other members of the gang also paraded are Ifeanyi Chukwu, Balat Paul, Ibrahim Samuel, Jatau Peter, Afini Paul, and Clinton Abere.
Items recovered from the gang include 2 English made pump action guns, 131 rounds of AK 47 ammunition, Police Camouflage uniform and 2 military caps, 2 operational vehicles, one anti- car tracking device, one handset phone for negotiation and collection of ransom and a red face mask.
Giving details of how the gang was caught, Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Don AWUNAH said, “The IGP Intelligence Response Team smashed the gang with the arrest of Dominic Nwakpa who is the gang leader, in Lagos State.
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Four (4) other principal suspects and members of the gang namely Balat Paul, driver of the gang, Ibrahim Samuel and Jatau Peter, a dismissed Policeman were arrested on 1st January 2017 in their hideouts at Dan Hassan Road, Ungwa Boro, Kaduna while Afini Paul, a female gang member who cooks for the gang was arrested at their hideout in Kaduna.
He said “The suspects upon interrogation volunteered confessional statements admitting that they are the criminal gang that kidnapped Ambassador Bagudu Hirse on 20th November, 2016 in GRA, Kaduna and collected ransom before he as released.
Another gang of kidnappers paraded are a retired Inspector and a dismissed Police Sergeant caught with a cache of arms and ammunition stolen from Police Mounted Troop armoury in Kaduna.
The weapons recovered by the IGP’S Special Tactical Squad from the criminal gang include 4 English Revolver, one pump action gun, one Barrett pistol, 50 rounds of 9mm live cartridges and one expended; 31 live cartridges.
Also recovered were one set of Camouflage Police uniform, one fake firearm licence, and 4 cars including One Prado Keep, a Golf Car, a Toyota Corolla, and a Toyota Cricket car.
DCP AWUNAH said, “On 1st of January 2017, working on actionable intelligence at disposal of the Nigerian Police indicating that a notorious kidnap for ransom gang and armed robbers and other violent crimes within Kaduna and environs were in the process of unleashing terror on innocent residents of Kujama village in Kujuru LGA.
“The operatives of the IGP’S Tactical Squad swung into action and arrested the mentioned suspects. On the spot search was conducted at their criminal hide out and the cache of arms and other exhibits were recovered in their possession.
END.
