Police arrest 11 notorious kidnappers, 26 others in Plateau

Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos

The Plateau state Police Command said on Thursday that it has arrested 11 notorious kidnappers terrorising the state in recent times.

Commissioner of Police, Issac Akinmolode, said the arrest was made possible by the painstaking intelligence gathering efforts of his officers and members of the public.

He stated that after a painstaking analysis of the intelligence at the disposal of the police, detectives carried out a well-coordinated and sweeping raid of the hideouts of the identified kidnap suspects that resulted in their arrest.

Those arrested are Bashiru Mohammed, Umar Adamu, Yusuf Adamu, Mustapha Mohammed, Shaibu Ado, Dantani Umar, Samaila Saranu Shitu, Adamu Mohammed, Hashimu Ya’u, Jibiro Damuna and Abubakar Hassan, all males.

“During interrogation, Bashiru Mohammed and Umar Adamu confessed to have kidnapped a lot of persons and both mentioned Yusuf Adamu, Hashimu Ya’u, Mustapha Mohammed and Shaibu Ado as members of their syndicate responsible for the kidnap at Plateau state Polytechnic Staff Quarters, Haipang on February 21and the kidnap that also took place at Zawan community and other places in Jos South Local Government Area of the state.

“They further confessed that Bassa, Barkin Ladi and Mangu Local Government Areas have been their areas of operation. They also informed the police during interrogation that they have also operated in Jos metropolis,” he added.

In a related development, Akinmolode also said that one Jibiro Damina and Dantani Umar confessed to being responsible for the kidnappings at Jengre axis of Bassa Local Government Area, saying that all the suspects will be charged to court.

The police also paraded 26 other persons for various offenses ranging from armed robbery, cultism, criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide.