By MONDAY IJEH

The Zone 7 Police Headquarters in Abuja said it has arrested a suspect linked with the Aug. 2024 kidnap of 21 medical students in Benue.

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of zone 7, Mr Benneth Igweh, said this during a media briefing on Tuesday in Abuja.

Igweh said the suspect and two others, now at large, were members of a gang that specialises in armed robbery and kidnapping in Benue and environs.

According to him, the suspect had confessed being a member of the gang responsible for the Aug. 2024 kidnap of 21 doctors in Benue.

He said the suspect had also confessed to have carried out several robbery operations along Adiga Road in Benue where he had snatched different motorcycles from travelers.

Igweh said the suspect who admitted selling the motorcycles and sharing the proceeds with his gang members, said he used a lot of charms for protection during his criminal operations.

The AIG said the suspect also confessed to selling his rifle to one retired soldier in Akpodo for N25,000.

He said efforts were being intensified by the zone to ensure that the fleeing members of the gang were apprehended and prosecuted.

Similarly, Igweh said detectives attached to the Zone 7 Special Investigation Unit (SIU), recently arrested three suspects over theft of electric transformers, cables and motorcycles.

He said the arrest followed an intelligence report that criminal elements around FCT, Kaduna and Nasarawa states had stolen electric transformers, cables and motorcycles.

The AIG said the intelligence revealed that the items were assembled around the Kubwa and Bwari axis of the FCT.

?Detectives attached to the Zone 7 SIU moved swiftly, which led to the arrest of the three suspects behind an abandoned filling station in Kagini area of Kubwa and the recovery of the transformers.

?Preliminary investigation reveals that the transformers are usually brought in very late at night and upon interrogation, the suspects said the transformers were brought to them by owners for repairs.

?Further investigation reveals that only three out of the recovered transformers were genuinely brought to them for repairs,? he said.

Igweh called on members of the public whose transformers were stolen to come forward with their proof of ownership to claim them. (NAN)