The Nigeria Police Force has arrested 13 suspects for alleged kidnapping, armed robbery and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms in Gawu Babangida, Niger.
The suspects are: Ibrahim Isah, 24; Ashafa Aliyu, 39; Abdullahi Ibrahim, 35; Garba Haruna, 40; Shehu Abdullahi,18; Hudu Yahaya, 35; Mohammed Tanimu, 42; Mohammed Bashar; Umar Isiaku, 32; Zayyanu Sani 35; Dalha Ali, 35; Shehu Malam, 20, and Babangida Hassan, 27.
The Force spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood, disclosed this while addressing newsmen in Gawu Babangida on Wednesday.
Moshood said that items recovered from the suspects are: Three AK 47 rifles; one locally made short gun; three magazines; one cartridge; Toyota Corolla saloon car; one Mercedes e-class car; Peugeot 406 car; Toyota Camry car and two Honda cars.
He said some of the vehicles were recovered from the suspects when they tried to change the colours.
He said that the suspects were arrested by the Special Tactical Squad ( STS) in collaboration with men of the Operation Absolute Sanity after a sustained surveillance and raid on the criminals’ hideouts.
“All the suspects arrested confessed to the crime and admitted to the various roles they played in the commission of the offences.
“They will be arraigned in court on completion of investigation, and investigation is being intensified to arrest other suspects at large,”the Force spokesman said.
He said that the Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr Ibrahim Idris, had directed the Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs) and Commissioners of Police (CPs) in the zones and commands to replicate same feat on the highways and other major roads
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Force had on July 25, 2017 commenced ‘Operation Absolute Sanity’ on Abuja-Kaduna Highway to check incessant cases of kidnapping and armed robbery.
NAN also reports that the operations were to complement the ongoing Joint Police/Military operations on ground before now.
On July 31, 2017 and Aug. 3, 2017 the police also arrested 31 and 40 suspects at Katari and Rijana areas, along the Kaduna-Abuja road.