The IGP Monitoring Team in Rivers State has arrested the kidnap gang that abducted a female student of the University in Owerri (names with-held), said to be the daughter of a Director, Department of State Services (DSS).
The suspects who were among six others paraded by the Police in Abuja are Michael Obi and Kelechi Ndukwu who both disclosed that they were lured into kidnapping act by the harsh economic situation in the country as well as need to cater for family.
Obi said another member of the gang who is at large, demanded N1. 8million ransom from the parents of the student and that the student was kept in the bush in Rivers state for four days before the police swooped on them and rescued the female.
Also, two members of a kidnap gang who abducted a Landlady and her son in Rivers state and collected ransom of N150, 000 were nabbed and paraded by the Police.
The kidnapped Landlady and her son were rescued alive by the IGP Monitoring team.
Parading the suspects, Force public Relations Officer, CSP Jimoh Moshood said several arms and ammunition were recovered from the gang and they include one locally made revolver pistol, one locally made pistol, 4 live ammunition, 3 live cartridges, one expended ammunition, one expended cartridge and N200, 000.
Operatives of the Monitoring unit also carried out a raid on a cultists den in Rivers State after acting on actionable intelligence, leading to a swoop on the hideout of vicious kidnap for ransom and cultist gang known as ‘Iceland Confraternity’.
The raid on the den located in Ebitanwo/Rumuakude Communities led to the arrest of two members of the gang (John Oteh and Atochi Oteh) and recovery of several dangerous arms and ammunition.
Weapons recovered are one Military LAR rifle, one locally made double barrel gun, 2 locally made single barrel guns cut to size, one locally made pistol, 7 cartridges and one expended cartridge.
CSP Moshood said all the suspects confessed to the several roles they played in the commission of the kidnappings and other cultist activities pointing out that they will be charged to court on completion of investigation.
Similarly, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Musa Kimo, has called on residents of the capital city to partner with the police through the provision of patrol vehicles, timely information whenever suspicious persons moved into their communities.
This, according to him, will enable the police provide adequate security to all the streets in all the estates in the capital city and its environs as well as respond quickly before criminals strike.
Speaking during a media briefing in Abuja, yesterday, Kimo lamented that the police is grossly underfunded, hence cannot single-handedly provide the needed patrol vehicles for all the nooks and crannies of all estates in the FCT.
He urged residents of estates and well-to-do individuals in the FCT to assist in the purchase of patrol vehicles in order to augment the few ones the police has for the security of their areas.
“In order to ensure adequate patrols of all streets in the all the estates in the FCT, there is nothing wrong for the residents of the FCT to assist in the purchase of patrol vehicles for the patrol of their streets or estates,” he noted.
The CP disclosed that his Command rescued a 12-year-old Fulani girl who was kidnapped in Wumi, Gwagawalada Area Council of the FCT noting the girl was in good health when she was rescued.
Three suspects were arrested in connection with the kidnap and exhibits recovered from them, Kimo said, include one locally made revolver and two locally made single barrel guns.
“The suspects are members of a notorious syndicate of kidnappers and cattle rustlers who specialize in laying siege at Fulani settlements and taking their victims hostage in exchange for money” he said.
“They were intercepted at Wumi village while trying to escape from the area after kidnapping one of their female victims who was successfully rescued by the police operatives,” he further explained.
CP Kimo further said, “The police under my watch are poised to ensure that hoodlums who are yet to take the flight and are still lurking in the FCT, certainly will meet their waterloo, as we are going to granulate, suffocate and even declare them persona non grata in this environment.”
END
