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Police arrest bandits who kidnapped students of Greenfield University Kaduna one year after
The Nigeria Police said operatives of the Force Intelligence Bureau Special Tactical Squad (FIB-STS) have arrested 31 suspects connected with different violent crimes, including last year’s kidnapping of students of Greenfield University, Kaduna.
RELIABLESOURCENG.COM reports that 22 students and staff of Greenfield University were abducted by bandits from their hostels on April 20, 2021.
Fourteen of the students were released about 40 days later after their parents reportedly paid over N180 million ransom to the terrorists. Sadly, five of the students were killed in captivity by the rogues.
In a statement on Wednesday, the police spokesman, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the criminals were arrested in connection with violent crimes, including kidnappings, culpable homicide, rape and unlawful possession of firearms.
Adejobi said the arrest followed directives by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, to clampdown on the perpetrators of crimes and criminality, as well as cutting off their supply of arms.
READ: Bandits kill 3 abducted Greenfield University students
“The FIB-STS equally recovered a total of 61 firearms including 41 AK-47 rifles, 8 Type 06 rifles, 4 Light Assault Rifles (LAR), 4 pump action guns, 2 locally made firearms, 1 G3 rifle, 1 dane gun, 376 rounds of live ammunition of different calibres, and cash sum of two million Naira, from the suspects in the course of investigations.
“Prominent among the cases include a case of kidnapping where the duo of Aminu Lawal (aka Kano), and Murtala Dawu (aka Mugala), both working in synergy with the kidnap kingpin known as Yellow Ashana, confessed to the kidnap and murder of two police officers and one vigilante in 2021. They equally confessed to the kidnap of students from the Greenfield University in Kaduna State, and the mindless murder of five victims before the payment of ransom, and eventual release of the others.
“Intelligence shows that their area of operations includes Dan Hunu, Kekebi, Dan Busha Rido, Maraban Rido, and Kumi Sata, all in Kaduna State,” Adejobi said in his statement.
According to the police spokesman, the FIB-STS operatives caught up with the bandits in March, 2022, after being on their trail and upon the mention of their names in connection with another kidnapping incident involving students of Bethel Baptist School, Kaduna, in 2021.
Adejobi said among the arrested 31 suspects are a five-man trans-border kidnapping syndicate who operated between Adamawa State in Nigeria and Burha, Fituha, and Kesu in Cameroun.
READ: Greenfield University: We paid N180m to free our children – Parents
“The gang which comprises Abubakar Mohammed, aged 28 years old; Shehu Mohammed, aged 38 years old; Abdullahi Ali, aged 30 years old; Abubakar Ali, aged 18 years old and Hussaini Sule, aged 18 years old; all males from Mubi, Adamawa State, targets wealthy individuals who possess beautiful houses or cars.
“They confessed to the kidnap and multiple rape of a newly wedded woman at Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, whom they released upon receipt of a million Naira ransom. They were apprehended by operatives of the FIB-STS after collecting a ransom sum of 2 million Naira for one Alhaji Moni of Buladega Village, on the 11th of May, 2022.
“Operatives of the FIB-STS equally apprehended the duo of Umar Muhammed, aged 40 years old, from Mitchika in Adamawa State, and Musa Buba ,aged 29 years old, from Hong, in Adamawa State, who are famous for their kidnapping activities. They were arrested at the market, upon credible intelligence that they would be there to buy food items for their kidnap victims. They confessed to many heinous crimes including the killing and beheading of one Alhaji Mai Gome, even after ransom payment had been made,” the statement added.
Adejobi said IGP Alkali Baba, commended the FIB-STS operatives for the successes recorded while assuring the determination of the police to flush out all criminal elements from their hiding places in order to answer to their crimes in due course.
He said all the suspects will be arraigned in court on completion of investigations.
