How Police Recover N10.1m, 8 AK- 47 Rifles From Kidnappers Of Sokoto Businessman (Photos)

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Oct 22, 2019 6:01 AM

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Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have recovered a total of 10.1 million from suspected kidnappers of one Alhaji Tuku Zubairu, a wealthy businessman from Sokoto State.

Addressing newsmen Monday, at the Special Anti -Robbery Squad (SARS), Headquarters in Abuja, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Frank Mba, said the “suspects formed their gang while in Katsina Prison where they planned the operation.”

According to Mba, the Police arrested a total of 81 suspects including a 19 -year-old Ghanaian and one woman for various criminal offences across the country where a total of eight AK-47 rifles, 344 rounds of ammunition and about 15 other types of locally fabricated weapons including 10 laptops were recovered from them.

Mba said, “We are here to brief you in line with our commitment to transparency and accountability. Our operatives have arrested members of a very dangerous gang led by one Rufai.

“This gang was formed in Katsina Prison and members are persons who had been prosecuted by the police and some serving jail terms and were almost rounding up their sentences while others are in the prison awaiting trials.

“Somehow, they were able to get themselves together while in prison; they formed a deadly gang and while in the prison they hatched the plot to kidnap one Alhaji Tuku Zubairu, a wealthy businessman in Sokoto State.

“As soon as they were out from the prison, they embarked on that mission kidnapped the businessman and collected ransom running into several millions from him.

“We went after them and as I speak to you today, all the gang members have been arrested and a total sum of N10.1 million part of the ransom they collected has been recovered,” he said.
Some of the suspects in military uniform

DCP Mba also added, “A very deadly kidnap gang known as the Sahaibu Dan Kaduna gang was arrested by our operatives. The gang is responsible for so many terrible crimes especially along Kaduna axis and other parts of the North Central zone of the country.”

On August 11, he said, the gang ambushed a team of Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IGP-IRT), Operatives that were on a mission and killed four of them.

“Ever since then, we have not relented on our efforts and as I speak to you majority of members of that gang have been arrested. The rifles of the IRT operatives that were snatched after killing them have all been recovered.

“The leader of that gang, Shaibu Dan Kaduna has been killed; he died during an exchange of gunfire with police operatives on October 3.

Speaking further, Mba noted that, there is still another gang that is responsible for the killing of Inspector Patrick Yohanna along Abuja-Kaduna road that was kidnapped and later killed.

He said, “Patrick Yohanna, a Police Inspector attached to Special Protection Unit was gunned down by kidnappers on August 26 while travelling to Kaduna. So, we went after them and as I talk to you we have the entire gang members with us.”

He warned that no one can kill a police officer and go scot-free since the police represent the conscience of the nation.

This was as he also stated that another kidnap gang numbering about 21 were arrested by operatives following diligent investigative and operational activities in Taraba State, where the kidnap gang were all rounded up. “That gang stands totally decimated today.”

He also explained that operatives of Special Tactical Squad (STS), acting on intelligence busted a home in Lugbe where 10 internet fraudsters were arrested and 10 laptops were recovered from them which would be subjected to proper forensic examination before they would be charged to court.

“A look at them shows clearly that they are all young persons and out of the 10, one is a Ghanaian who told us that he is a secondary school student in Accra Academy. Some of the suspects are graduates and as a matter of fact, one of them who we recognise as the leader of the group is a graduate of Microbiology and has an MBA in Business Management.”

Mba used the opportunity to advise the public to be weary of the people they employ and the company they keep.

“As a matter of fact, the case of the kidnap of an honourable member in Sokoto was facilitated by someone from the same community, the fact that someone that has a close relationship with the honourable member.

“He monitors the honourable member and his itinerary and eventually passes relevant information to his gang members before they clinically carry out their operation.

“The import of this is that we must continue to monitor the persons we employ particularly as domestic workers, drivers, cooks, nannies, personal assistants. Treat your staff well by paying them as when due.

“As a society, we must genuinely and collaboratively work together and attack and deal with the very root causes of crime and criminality in our country.”

As police officers, he said, “We would continue to do our bit to ensure a crime-free society. We will continue to work with relevant agencies and citizens, particularly under the auspices of our National Community Policing Programme to deal with as many of these things as we can.”