Crime Wave: Police Foil Kidnap Plot In Abuja, Arrest 16 Suspects

 …Gunmen Abduct Man, Wife In Abuja, Two Others In Ibadan

…Niger CP Urges Religious Leaders To Intensify Security Measures

 TOYIN ADEBAYO; RAJI ADEBAYO; CHINWENDU NNADOZIE

ABUJA/ IBADAN/ MINNA  – The Special Intervention Squad (SIS) recently launched by the Inspec­tor General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has arrested 16 suspects, including three Bwari-based kidnappers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The squad was created in re­sponse to the increasing rate of kidnapping and other criminal activities in the FCT.

The police, in a statement by the Force Public Relations Of­ficer (FPRO) on Saturday, said that the suspects were arrested at various locations through the collaborative efforts with the De­partment of Force Intelligence – Intelligence Response Team (DFI-IRT), the FCT Command Anti-Violent Crimes Section, An­ti-kidnapping Section and other state commands, of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

The FPRO explained that the breakthrough was achieved fol­lowing the recent launch of the Special Intervention Squad (SIS) by the IGP and the fortification of the security landscape in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to the statement, among the 16 suspects were three Bwari-based kidnappers – Idris Ishaku, m, 27 years, Bala Umar, m, 27 years, and Dahiru Salisu, m, 27 years, who had been responsible for series of armed robberies and kidnapping in the Bwari Area Council and other parts of the FCT, Abuja.

The statement added that sim­ilarly, the combined team of op­eratives had arrested 13 suspects for various other crimes.

Part of the statement read: “Among the achievements re­corded is the foiling of another kidnap plot through technical intelligence, resulting in the ar­rest of the above-named Bwas­ri-based kidnappers, and weap­ons recovered from them.

“In a proactive move follow­ing a report on the abduction of a victim from his house along with his Hilux Van with Reg. No. RBC 90 DL gray colour by four armed men who disguised in a white Mercedes Benz 230 car, po­lice operatives, in an intelligence propelled investigation, discov­ered that the victim was being taken to Kano State, but was dispossessed of his ATM cards at Kaduna, while N500,000 was transferred from his account.

“The suspects, however, ran out of luck as they were inter­cepted by police operatives at a filling station in Kaduna, where three of them escaped, while one by the name Chinaza Philip Okoye Michael, was arrested.

“The victim, rescued unhurt, and the said Hilux Van recov­ered. It was discovered that Chi­naza Philip Okoye Michael and his accomplices had earlier been arrested sometime in November 2023 and charged for similar of­fences, at the High Court, Kwali, Abuja, but went back to commit­ting even worse crimes while on court bail.”

The statement further noted that the operatives of the DFI-IRT office also intercepted one Ever­est Magaji, a gunrunner, during negotiation with some notorious bandits, who were currently at large, for the purchase and sup­ply of illicit firearms and ammu­nition, while 11 pistols and two pump action guns were recov­ered from the suspect.

The FPRO disclosed that the achievements recorded through these relentless operations demonstrated the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force un­der the leadership of IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun to ensure that the nation would be a safe haven for the citizens to inhabit.

Meanwhile, gunmen on Sat­urday abducted Abdullahi Sabo, a resident of FCT, while he was driving home with his wife.

The abduction took place at Sabon-Lugbe on Airport Road in Abuja.

Sabo was driving his ash-co­loured Lexus Jeep with registra­tion number ABC 769 TP when the gunmen intercepted his ve­hicle.

The attackers, travelling in an unmarked Golf car, report­edly opened fire and deflated the tires of the victim’s jeep.

The incident occurred less than 48 hours after abduction in Army Estate, Kurudu, Abuja.

During town hall meetings in Bwari and Gwagwalada Area Councils, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, assured residents of their safety, emphasising the imple­mentation of adequate security measures.

Wike had also announced the arrest of some bandits and their informants.

A neighbour of the victim, Da­ramola Joseph, confirmed Sabo’s abduction, recounting that the at­tackers shot the tires, prompting the vehicle to stop. The victim’s wife managed to escape, but the gunmen abducted Abdullahi Sabo.

As of the time of reporting, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Josephine Adeh, had not responded to calls or messages seeking information on the incident.

Also in the early hours of Sat­urday, gunmen stormed Otu town in Oyo State and kidnapped two people, injuring another person.

Otu is in Itesiwaju local gov­ernment area of Oke Ogun geo­political zone of the state.

It was gathered that the two people kidnapped included Mr Dayo Olayanju and wife of Mr Kehinde Obasola.

It was gathered that Obasola escaped with gunshots but his wife was kidnapped by the gun­men.

The whereabouts of the kid­napped victims had not been revealed as at the time of filing this report.

A community leader in the local government area disclosed that the incident occurred on Sat­urday morning.

The community leader who craved anonymity disclosed that, “It is true. It happened around 2 am today. They were kidnapped in different areas. One was kid­napped along Okeho road.

“I have confirmed it. The two people kidnapped are Dayo Olayanju and wife of Kehinde Obasola. Kehinde Obasola es­caped with gunshots but his wife was kidnapped.”

All efforts to get police re­action proved abortive as calls put through to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), of the Oyo Command, Adewale Osifeso, were not successful.

Efforts to get the state Com­mandant of Western Nigeria Se­curity Network (WNSN) known as Amotekun, Olayinka Olayan­ju, were futile.

Worried by the recent surge in crimes, including kidnapping, the Commissioner of Police, Niger State, Shawulu Danmam­man, had urged religious bodies in the state to evolve strategies to secure members in places of worship as criminals are becom­ing more brutal in their evil acts against law abiding citizenry.

The police Commissioner gave the charge when he played host to the Christian Associa­tion of Nigeria (CAN) Chair­man, Niger state chapter, Most Rev. Dr. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna who led his executive members on a courtesy visit at the Com­mands’ headquarters at Dutsen Kura-Gwari Area, Minna, over the weekend.

Shawulu who said that Niger State had enjoyed relative peace due to renewed efforts being made by the state government as well as the determination of security agencies to make the state uninhabitable for criminals, urged churches to strengthen their internal security apparatus for maximum results.

The commissioner said: “While we are assuring you of police support at all times, I must encourage all churches to re­main vigilant and very sensitive because of the challenges even though we are enjoying relative peace in Niger state.

“We all know that places of worship are targets for criminals, let us not be carried away by the seeming peace we are currently enjoying.

“There is the need to be proac­tive and that is why I encourage all religious bodies to go back to the use of gadgets like metal de­tectors and scanners because to an extent.”

The state CAN Chairman, Most Rev. Dr. Bulus Dauwa Yo­hanna, the Bishop of Kontagora Catholic Diocese, assured the po­lice commissioner of unalloyed support and collaboration to the security of lives and properties of Nigerlites.

According to him, “The churches and CAN will do their best to strengthen the collabora­tion with the security agencies, police in particular, for a secure Niger State. We will also continue to be praying for the police so that we can continue to enjoy relative peace in the state.”