SSS arrests kidnappers in military uniform, army uniform sold for N1,500

The men of the State Security Service (SSS), Kogi State command on Wednesday, said it had in the last few weeks, arrested at least 10 suspected kidnappers terrorising the state.

Already, six of the suspects, the Nigerian Tribune learnt, had been arraigned in court, while another four operating in full military combat uniforms were paraded for arraignment today.

The state director of the command, Mr Joseph Okpo, who disclosed this to newsmen in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, said the command last week, arrested four of the six-man gang that had been operating on Abuja-Lokoja highway.

According to him, the arrested suspects were Haruna Saleh, Kabiru Shuaibu, Mumuni Adamu and Tukur Shuaibu, adding that the people specialised in robbery and kidnapping on the major roads.

He said the people had confessed being involved in some operations on Maraba-Jos Road, Malufashi on Zaria-Kaduna and Jaji-Zaria Road, in full military uniform.

He explained that the suspects were apprehended on their way from Kaduna axis to link up with some people in Obajana where they planned to engage in fresh operations.

Okpo, however, said the suspects were already giving a very good lead on the source of their uniform, adding that the command had already liaised with the state command of the Nigeria Police to investigate the source of the military uniform.

He added that upon interrogation, the suspects confessed to having been involved in six operations between the Ramadan period and on the day they were arrested.

The leader of the gang, Mumuni Adamu, said they got the military uniforms from a commercial motorcyclist, popularly called Okada, at the rate of N1,500  per pair.