The Nigeria Police Force has disclosed that it arrested eight kidnappers in Edo State, and five in Kaduna.
According to a press statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the armed kidnappers in Edo State laid an ambush at Oshara Ganden, a boundary area between Kogi and Edo States but were overpowered by the police, who engaged them in gun duel.
The eight arrested suspects are Tukur Salisu, Sani Abubakar, Mamud Sani, Umar Abdullahi, Salisu Mohammed, Salisu Usman, Bashir Audu, and Jibril Haruna.
Recovered from them are one AK-47 rifle with 29 rounds of live ammunition, one new Israeli pump action rifle with 4 cartridges, two pump action rifles with 72 cartridges, a single barrel shotgun with 2 cartridges, and two operational motorcycles.
Arrested in Kaduna are Yakubu Musa, 30, and Usman Musa, 25. “These suspects were linked to series of kidnappings and cattle rustling activities in the Soba and Ikara regions of the State”, the police stated.
Recovered from the suspects are three AK-47 rifles and 19 rounds of live ammunition were recovered.
In the statement, the police affirmed the arrest of Abubakar Lawan (24), Isiaku Abdullahi (35), and Abbas Maisaude (26), for criminal conspiracy, unlawful possession of firearms, and kidnapping.
“The suspects arrested on January 21, 2025, confessed to participating in multiple kidnapping incidents across Rijana, Lambata, Dandume, and Ugama in Kaduna and Niger States.
Recovered from them were one AK-49 rifle, two AK-47 rifles, and 28 rounds of live ammunition.
