The Niger State Police Command says it has arrested 10 suspects from different parts of the state over alleged armed robbery, kidnapping and possession of Indian Hemp.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed this in a statement in Minna on Monday.
Abiodun said police operatives attached to the Anti-Kidnapping unit of the command during a patrol along Gwada-Shiroro on December 24, 2020 arrested four kidnap suspects at about 6pm.
He said two of the suspects were arrested with a sum of N1.5 million in their possession.
He added: “During interrogation, the suspects confessed to be members of an armed bandits gang terrorising Kussasu/Galadima Kogo area of Shiroro Local Government Area.
“The money was proceeds from ransom and sale of rustled cattle which they were sent to transfer to one Ishaku and Adamu both of Kagarko, Kaduna State.”
Abiodun explained that the two other suspects are motorcyclists who specialised in transporting the hoodlums from one point to another.
Similarly, the PPRO said at about 10pm on December 31, 2020, police operatives attached to Ibbi Division while on patrol along Ibbi/New-Bussa Road, arrested three other suspects and found about N1.7 million in their possession.
“During interrogation, the suspects confessed that the money was the proceeds shared from ransom of about three victims kidnapped from Nasko and Mashegu,” the PPRO said.
He also said on January 13, two kidnap suspects were arrested at about 5pm by the police in collaboration with the vigilante group during a routine patrol along Bangi-Wamba Road.
He said the suspects were arrested with unregistered Bajaj motorcycle and two locally fabricated revolver rifles.
Abiodun said one of the suspects attempted to escape during interrogation and was shot.
He said the suspected later died and his corpse was deposited at the General Hospital Bangi, Mariga Local Government Area of the state.
In another development, the PPRO said police operatives attached to Sarkin-Pawa Division at about 4:30am on January 12 arrested two suspects along Sarkin-Pawa-Minna Road with an unregistered Bajaj motorcycle.
Abiodun said: “During search, one bag of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, 16 sachets of Dizapam drugs, 2 hypnox drugs, 3 wrap of AXL drugs, 1 Tecno phone and a sum of N10,000 were found on them.
“During interrogation, the suspects confessed to have bought the bag and the drugs at the rate of N50,000 from one Isah at Tudun Natsira uphill, Maitunbi to sell at Kaffin-Koro.”
He said that efforts were being made to the arrest the alleged seller.
The PPRO said all the suspects would be charged to courts as soon as investigations were concluded.
