2 kidnap suspects arrested by police in Niger

Police in Niger State said it has arrested two notorious kidnap suspects at Gawu Babangida community in Gurara Local Government Area of the state, just as it also disclosed that it has rescued a 17-year-old female victim from their custody.

This was contained in a press statement signed and made available to newsmen in Minna, by the spokesman of the command, DSP Bala Elkana.

Elkana stated that on Friday, July 8, 2016 at about 13:00 hours, based on information from a reliable source,the police Anti-kidnapping team raided the camp of a notorious kidnapping syndicate, at Iwa Village, and arrested two kingpins of the gang namely Shade Abubakar ‘M’ and Usman Umar ‘M’ all of Gawu Babangida, Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State.

The release stated further that during the operation, Aisha Ibrahim ‘F’ 17 years old, who was kidnapped by the gang, was rescued and taken to a hospital for medical attention.

It added that the two-man kidnapping gang had been responsible for various kidnappings robbery operations at Gawu Babangida and its environs in recent times, saying the suspects who had confessed to the crime, would soon be charged to court for prosecution, after conclusion of police investigation into the case.

In a related development, Bala Elkana, has revealed that on Thursday, July 7, 2016  at about 18:30 hours, police received a distress call on a clash between Gbagy farmers and Fulani Herdsmen at Barkuta Village, in Bosso Local Government Areas, over an alleged destruction of crops belonging to the farmers,by the said herdsmen.

“During the scuffle, one Usman Mohammed ‘M’ was macheted to death while Sidi Risikuwa ‘M’, Mohammed Abubakar ‘M’ and Umar Abubakar were also seriously injured. The situation was brought under control by a team of Anti-Riot policemen. Two suspects namely Ladan Adamu ‘M’ and Mohammed Musa ‘M’ were arrested in respect of the case,” he stated.

The PPRO also noted that  on Friday, July 8, 2016,  at about 16:50 hours armed men suspected to be herders invaded Barkuta Village in what looks like a revenge mission which resulted in the killing of three persons namely Garba Danladi and Umar Wabai all ‘M’ of Barkuta Village, while 15 houses, four vehicles, 17 motorcycles and food items and clothing were also burnt.

He, however, stated that the situation had been brought under control, saying more anti-riot policemen had been drafted to the area to forestall a recurrence of such ugly incident He added that efforts were  being intensified by the police authorities in the state to apprehend the fleeing suspects, with a view to bringing them to justice.