Police arrest 13 suspects, recover N2.18m in Kogi

Police in Kogi on Thursday said it had arrested 13 suspects for various offences ranging from kidnapping, armed robbery and culpable homicide perpetrated in some parts of the state.

The out-going Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Ali Janga, who made the disclosure while parading the suspects at the command headquarters in Lokoja, added that N2.18 million was recovered from the suspects.

Janga said the arrests were in compliance with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, to reinvigorate crime prevention and detection strategies to ensure adequate security throughout the yuletide.

Janga who used the occasion to announce his redeployment to Bauchi State Command said he adopted the strategies and other operational measures to apprehend the suspected criminals.

The strategies, according to him, include intensive patrol, raid of identified criminal hideouts, black spots and flashpoints as well as the conduct of “stop and search operations” across the state.

He said three of the suspects were arrested on December 9, by the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) with N2.18 million ransom and two handsets which they had earlier taken from their victims.

“Their arrest, during a stop and search on Okene-Lagos road was sequel to the intelligence report that Obajana, Ogori and Okene-Lagos roads were no longer safe for motorists due to criminal activities,’’ he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the police boss also paraded another gang arrested on December 23, over alleged kidnap of a pastor’s son and another in Inike area of Okene.

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Items recovered from them included one pump action rifle, one single barrel gun, a locally made pistol and four live cartridges.

Others were two masks, a set of three-star Army General uniform and N75,000 out of N100,000 stolen from a victim.

Also, another gang of four was paraded for allegedly dispossessing a victim of his motorcycle at gunpoint in Akpagidigbo community, Ofu Local Government.

The police boss said the leader of the gang conspired with others, now at large and allegedly killed one Tahiru of Odun Opake in Ofu Local Government and made away with his motorcycle.

He said the suspects, along with one Paul Simon, were arrested on December 22, with weeds suspected to be Indian hemp, concealed in 17 bags of Gari, would be prosecuted on completion of the investigation.