Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Response Team have arrested no less than 19 suspects linked to alleged cases of kidnapping, armed robbery, culpable homicide, rape, unlawful possession of prohibited firearms, car theft, and impersonation.
The Operatives moped up a total of 52 firearms- including one Rocket Propelled Grenade Launcher (RPG), one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), 36 Ak 47 riffles, two English shotguns, five locally made shotguns, five locally made automatic pistols, and four Pump Action shotguns.
The team also recovered 2,045 live ammunition of different calibers and five tear gas canisters.
The Force Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, paraded the suspects on Friday in Abuja.
Among those paraded are four members of a kidnapping syndicate identified as 31-year-old Chima Nwankwo of Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area of Abia State, 35-year-old Stanley Chukwunyere of Isiala Mbanu LGA of Imo State, 40-year-old Okechukwu Edison of Emohua LGA of Rivers State, 18-year-old Justice Nlaa of Ogoni LGA, Rivers State.
The suspect met their waterloo after kidnapping one Nkechi Jennifer in front of her shop at Rumudara, Obiakpor Local Government Area in Rivers State.
According to the Police, the suspects came under the guise of buying goods from her, forced her into their Lexus 470 car, and kept her in an uncompleted building for four days until her family paid 1.5 million naira as ransom.
The gang leader, Okechukwu Edison, confessed that he has been in the kidnapping business since 2009. He was arrested by the Police in 2012 and convicted by the Court. However, he broke out of prison during the unfortunate attack on the Correctional facility in Imo State.
As a fugitive, Okechukwu continued his kidnapping business with his cohorts until they were arrested.
Similarly, a six-man syndicate was arrested for criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping, unlawful possession of prohibited firearms, and hijacking a truck of petroleum products.
The suspects are 40-year-old Usman Muhammed, 34-year-old Ali Mohammed, 35-year-old Sani Isiaku, Isiaku Ibrahim, 43-year-old Musa Ibrahim, and 40-year-old Haruna Mohammed.
According to the Police, the suspect hijacked a DAF Truck conveying 45,000 liters of PMS belonging to Chriscross Petroleum at gunpoint in Saminaka, Niger State.
Investigations also revealed that the suspects were part of a 10-man gang who attacked a vigilante group in Lambata, Niger State, where they carted away two pump action rifles. Four suspects are still at large and efforts are on to recover the stolen weapons.
The Police recovered two machetes, one DAF Truck, and three mobile phones from the suspect.
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