The police have arrested 25 suspected notorious kidnap suspects in Kaduna. Among them are suspects responsible for the kidnap of Hon. Suleiman Dabo, a Member of the Kaduna State House of Assembly.

Spokesperson, Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Yakubu Sabo Abubakar, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday. He said that also among the suspects are those responsible for the kidnapping incident of August 26, 2019 along Kaduna-Abuja Road where six persons were abducted, including three Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) students, killing of a police inspector and carting away his AK47 rifle.

He said that a combined team of police operational units from the command led by the IGP’s Special Tactical Squad attached to Operation Puff Adder on Friday acted on intelligence and raided criminal hideouts at Kingimi and other surrounding villages in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

DSP Abubakar said that in the process, the team arrested one Buhari Bello, a 34-year-old notorious kidnapper, and seven others.

“Upon interrogation, it was revealed that they belong to the gang of notorious Kidnappers/Armed Robbers that have been terrorizing Kaduna-Abuja and Kaduna-Zaria Expressways.

“Investigation further revealed that, the suspects are responsible for the kidnap of Hon Suleiman Dabo, a Member of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, recently and the sum of N450,000 has been recovered from one of the suspects which he confessed to be his share of the ransom paid by the victim,” DSP Abubakar said.

He said efforts are on to apprehend other gang members and recover their operational weapons, adding that update on the ongoing investigation will follow accordingly.

The Kaduna Police PRO further stated that in the police resolve to find a lasting solution to the rising security challenges in the state, especially along the major highways, the command has intensified carefully planned and well-coordinated raids on all identified bandits camps.

According to him, combined teams of policemen from the command’s operational units, the IGP’s IRT, Special Forces and some hunters/vigilantes were mobilised for the operation.

His words: “The operation has successfully raided and dislodged Bandits from camps located in the following areas; Maigiginya and Gurguzu of Igabi LGA.

“In one of the fierce encounter, the operatives succeeded in neutralising bandits’ ambush, killed about three suspected bandits, recovered two AK47 Rifles and three operational motorcycles.

“Efforts are on to dislodge them from all the criminal camps within the command.

“On 7/9/2019, the current operation has also raided Barebri and other Bandits' camps within Buruku axis and arrested eighteen kidnap suspects who on interrogation revealed that, they were responsible for the Kidnapping incident of 26th August 2019 along Kaduna Abuja Road where six persons were kidnapped including the three ABU students, killing of a police inspector and carting away with his AK47 Rifle.

“The suspects are currently helping Police investigation and will be prosecuted accordingly.

“The Commissioner of Police CP Ali Aji Janga, enjoins the good people of Kaduna State to continue to support the Police with relevant information that will help the Command to overcome the recent security problems.”