Police Foil Kidnap Attempt, Arrest Gunrunners, Bandits In Kaduna

The Kaduna State Police Command has foiled a kidnap attempt and arrested gunrunners and suspected bandits in the State.

The Command said a Police Patrol Team attached to Kagarko Division, vigilantes and hunters jointly acted on a cogent information that suspected bandits were sighted at an abandoned farm shade along Dogon Daji community with a possible intent to carry out a nefarious mission.

The said hoodlums on sighting the combined security convoy retreated on their motorcycles and aborted the mission as they took to their heels and upon a thorough search of the area, a locally fabricated 10 rounds loading revolver shotgun was recovered.

Similarly, the Command also disclosed that its operatives from Divisional Headquarters in Sabon Gari, Zaria, were on 22/09/2023 at about 1530 hours alerted of a suspicious unregistered black Volkswagen Passat vehicle by personnel of the Nigerian Custom Service (NCS) along the Zaria-Kano highway.

The patrol team swiftly trailed the said vehicle and accosted the occupants, who identified themselves as Liti Iliya and Garba Luka, both of Anguwan Dankande village of Birnin Gwari LGA of the State.

“When the vehicle was searched, the following exhibits; an AK 47 rifle with 15 rounds of 7.62 X 39mm live ammunitions, a pair of vehicle registration number plates of Ebonyi state HKW 578 AA were discovered hidden in the vehicle’s trunk,” said a statement issued by the Assistant Police Public Relations Officer (2/ic PPRO), ASP Mansur Hassan.

According to the 2/ic PPRO, while parading the arrested suspects at the Police Command headquarters in Kaduna, “on the 27/08/2023 at about 1300 hours Operatives of the Command attached to Divisional Headquarters Maraban Jos Kaduna acted on a credible information about two suspicious persons aimlessly wandering in the Maraban Jos area. When they arrested the said persons who are identified as Abdullahi Abubakar and Jamila Abdullahi, both of Kazara village Tsafe local government in Zamfara State.”

He said the suspects have confessed to being on errand to purchase arms and ammunitions at Maraban Rido area of the State for one Habu, who is currently at large.

“Equally, on the 21/09/2023 at about 1300 hours credible intel has it that four numbers of children were in manner akin to child trafficking about to be taken to Lagos. Operatives attached to Zaria Area Command led by the Area Commander mobilised to the scene, rescued the children and arrested the suspects headed by a certain Habila Magaji a pastor with the Anglican church Ungwan Kada Makarfi LGA of Kaduna State.

“The rescued children are, namely; Boniface Monday 16 years, Sentili Ibrahim 15 years, Patricia Marcus 13 years and Justina Ibrahim 8 years. Investigation has since commenced,” he added.

Other suspects paraded included those arrested being in illegal possession of 448 rounds of 7.62x 39mm live ammunitions, culpable homicide, criminal conspiracy, and kidnapping for rituals, among other offences.