By Amos Tauna
Kaduna State internal security outfit, Operation Yaki in northwest Nigeria, says it has arrested six notorious kidnappers terrorizing Kaduna-Abuja highway.
The suspects were picked Thursday by the Surveillance Patrol Teams in a joint operation with the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Teams (IRT), with the support from the Technical Intelligence Unit (TIU).
Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to governor of Kaduna State, Samuel Aruwan in a statement said, “The arrest of the kidnappers is sequel to the massive deployment of more police assets and patrol vehicles in the area in the last one week.
“These efforts led to the arrests of the suspects including the leader of the gang, Adamu Mamman, a 35-year old ofAmana village in Igabi Local Government Area, Ali Rabo, also known as Blakky, of Liman Ibada village in Chikun Local Government Area and Awwalu Ahmad, aka Mota, of Rijana village in Kachia Local Government Area who is the main informant of this gang of kidnappers along the Abuja – Kaduna highway.
“Others arrested are Shehu Idris Shagari, a 27-year old of Gadan Gayan village in IgabiLocal Government Area, and Umar Antijo, also a 27-year old, of Rijana village in Kachia Local Government Area. Also in the net is Babangida Abdullahi of Rijanavillage in Kachia Local Government Area who is the receiver of stolen cattle, phones and laptops.”
The statement quotes Yakubu Yusuf, a retired colonel and Coordinator of Operation Yaki, saying that the security operations against kidnapping is funded by Kaduna State Government, disclosing that Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has been encouraging and supporting interagency cooperation in the fight against crime.
“Governor El-Rufai has pressed for a sustained onslaught against kidnapping. The Kaduna State Government is assisting security agencies with operational funds to support these efforts. The governor commends the communities that have been contributing to the security effort reporting suspicious activities.
“The suspects were arrested at various locations, including Maraban Jos, UngwanPama, Sabon Gayan and Rijana villages respectively, all in Kaduna State.
“All the suspects arrested confessed to several kidnappings of motorists along Kaduna – Abuja highway and further confessed that because of the massive deployment of security forces to their area of operations, most of their gang members have started relocating from Rijana village to their respective home towns.
“The suspects and the items recovered from them have been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the State Police Command for further investigation,” the statement added.
