Detectives attached to the Inspector-General of
Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris’s Special Intelligence Response Squad (IRT),
has smashed a kidnap gang that was coordinated by a dismissed operative of the
Department of Security Service (DSS).
The DSS officer, Abdulrasheed Maigari 35, was
arrested along with 10 gang members. The gang was alleged to specialise in
kidnapping and robbing residents of Abuja.
Maigari is a 2006 political Science Graduate of
Bayero University Kano. He was recruited into DSS as a graduate officer in
September 2011. He was dismissed and charged to court November 12, 2015, for
robbing N310m, with some soldiers in Abuja.
He was released by court on November 28, 2016 and immediately
joined this kidnapping gang in Abuja.
He graduated in the gang to become the coordinator
of the gang. He also rented the two houses in Suleija where the gang used to
keep victims.
Items recovered from them are; one AK47 rifle and two
pistols.
A police source said: “One Ak47 rifle with serial
number 5163908, three Ak47 magazines loaded, with 90 live rounds of ammunition
and two pistols, with 14 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the
kidnappers.”
The police further said: “The gang used to trail
prospective victims driving expensive cars in Abuja in the evening hours. They
would block and kidnap their victims at traffic lights, house or estate gates
and other places. The gang members have
confessed to several kidnappings within Abuja City, including that of Mr.
Japhet and his wife in Gwarimpa area, where N5 million was ransom was paid. Two
university ladies in Wuse 2, Abuja, were kidnapped by the gang and N 2 million
ransom paid. Another two ladies, driving a Mercedes Jeep in Gwarimpa were also
kidnapped and N5 million paid before they were released. A filling station
owner in Gwarimpa paid N50 million as ransom before he was released. There are
many of such cases. They have kidnapped a lot of people and collected money.
Efforts to arrest the only remaining Gang member at large are in progress.”
On March 3, the gang allegedly abducted 67-year-old
Alhaji Isa Ozi Salami at Maitama Abuja
The IRT operatives, led by an Assistant Commissioner
of Police (ACP), Mr. Abba Kyari, were ordered by Idris to go after the
kidnappers, arrest and rescue the victim
The IRT and Anti-Kidnapping Squad of Abuja Command
Jointly swung into action. After five days of hunting for the suspects, between
March 26 and 28, 11 of the kidnappers were arrested.
Salami, former General Manager of PAN, MD Nigeria
Paper Mills Jebba and Chairman Gateway Insurance was rescued from the
kidnappers Hideout, a two bedroom house rented by the kidnappers in remote part
of Suleja Town Niger State.
Those arrested have been identified as Kelvin Emeka,
28, who is the gang leader.
The said Emeka had once been charged to Gwagwalada
High Court in October 2016 with three others for kidnapping and armed robbery.
He was arrested and charged after kidnapping Miss
Ngozi Dabiri and several others in Abuja.
Emeka and his gang members were released on December
8, 2016. This was less than eight weeks after being charged for robbery and
kidnapping.
The second suspect is Ndubisi Prince Ozor 3. He is
the second in command to Emeka. He was also charged to court for armed robbery
on November 2016.
He was released by the court on January 25, 2017.
Sunday Tyavnor 33 is the arms dealer of the gang. He
sold the AK47 rifle, used for the kidnappings for N4, 70.000 and the two pistols
for N60, 000 each.
He was arrested in Nasarawa State. Mr. Zayor Alfred,
23, specialised in guarding kidnapped victims. He was arrested in the camp were
the victim was rescued. Avah Joseph 25, also used to guard kidnapped victims
and go for kidnapping operations. He was also arrested in the kidnappers’ camp.
Gabriel Friday 33, is the driver of the gang, while Rajab
Baba Ishiaka 22 and Ali Sanni 27, also used to guard victims.
Nuhu Sule 20, also guard victims. Mohammed Abubakar
21, supplies the gang members with registered SIMcards.
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