- Arrests 6 others in Kogi State
Senator Iroegbu in Abuja
The Department of State Services (DSS) has nabbed a kidnap syndicate operating in Kogi State with military uniform in an attempt to halt the increasing spate of kidnapping in the state.
The Director of DSS, Lokoja Command, Mr. Joseph Okpo, in a statement yesterday, said the DSS has in the course of intensified efforts towards curtailing this threat within the last six weeks, arrested about 10 suspected kidnappers, most of whom have been charged to court.
Okpo said the DSS had recently arrested gang of robbers/kidnappers along Abuja-Lokoja highway, Koton-Karfe, Kogi Local Government Area, following liaison report corroborated by signal intelligence linking them to robbery and kidnapping activities within and outside the state.
He listed the members of this gang who operated in military combat uniforms to include their leader Haruna Saleh aka Auta; Kabiru Shaibu, Abdulmuminu Adamu and Tukur Shuaibu.
The Service boss however noted that the DSS operatives recovered several items during an on-the-spot search conducted on the suspects’ vehicle such as three pairs of army camouflage uniforms; a locally-made pistol and long barrel gun.
Other items recovered were seven pump action cartridges; a cutlass, knife, 14 handsets, a set of plate number (AG 556 BNG), three touch lights, one green Gulf 3 car with registration number KWL 946 FB; and the sum of N46,675.
Okpo further stated that signal intelligence revealed that the group has links with other kidnap syndicate operating in Abuja, Kaduna, Katsina and Niger States.
He said: “They admitted that from the Ramadan period to the time of arrest, they have conducted six different robbery/kidnap operations alongside two other gangs.
“The locations are Minna-Kantogara road, Niger State; Mararaba-Jos road, Kaduna State; twice along Manufarshi road in Zaria, Kaduna State and twice along Jaji-Zaria road.
“They have disclosed their source of military uniforms and I have invited the appropriate service to join us in investigating this angle of the case.”
The DSS director said apart from what was recovered from them, they revealed that they have a cache of three AK 47 and other weapons to be recovered.
He noted that both signal and human intelligence indicated that disproportionate percentage of kidnappers in Kogi State come from outside the state.
According to him, the suspects exploited the physical geography and landforms as well as the route structure of the state.
“Kogi State is bordered by nine states and Abuja and is the gateway between the North and South. The terrain is rugged and it has both land and inland waterways exist and entry routes,” he stated.
Okpo assured the state that the Command will continue to collaborate with other security agencies by deploying its core competences to address the security challenges in the state and the country, taking advantage of the renewed zeal of the state government in supporting and partnering security agencies.
He said the suspects will be in court soon.
