The Nasarawa State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of 26 suspects linked to a series of crimes including kidnapping and cultism in the state.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ramhan Nansel, who made the statement in the Lafia area of the state, said two victims recently abducted by suspected kidnappers were also rescued.
Parading the suspects on Wednesday, Nansel said policemen, while acting on credible intelligence, stormed the kidnappers’ hideouts and arrested them.
He said, “Based on credible intelligence, on May 23, 2023, around 4pm, a team of Mobile Policemen attached to Operation Restore Peace, stormed a kidnappers’ hideout located at Ambaka village of Farin Ruwa Development Area in the Wamba LGA of the state.
“They were able to rescue two kidnap victims who had been held hostage for some time, and arrested five kidnappers: Sale Adamu, 34, Idi Halilu, 27, Abdul Sale, 20, Mallam Gambo, 48, and Goma Halilu, 20, all males of Ambaka village. The suspects have confessed to being responsible for a series of kidnappings at Ambaka village and environs.”
Nansel, while commending the policemen attached to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the command led by SP Lapshak Lenka, for working tirelessly till the suspects were arrested and the victims rescued, said 13 persons among the suspects being paraded were arrested in connection with cult-related activities including harassing and intimidating residents in the Karu LGA of the state.
He said, “Recently, based on a tip-off, police detectives attached to the Masaka Division raided a hideout of the Neo-Black Knowledge cult group located at Koya village, Masaka, Karu LGA, where the following suspects: Michael Felix, Gabriel Seth, Gideon Gambo, Michael Dauda, Sule Angel, Adingu Favor, Phillip Joseph, Adeboye Babatunde, Victor Abire, Patrick Joe, Ambrose Thankgod, Israel Joel and Usman Jibrin were arrested.
“A thorough search was conducted on them where one locally-fabricated pistol, three 9mm live ammunition, two axes, and dangerous charms were recovered from them as exhibits.”
Nansel warned all criminal elements to leave the state without further delay, adding that the Commissioner of Police, Maiyaki Baba, had ordered the transfer of the suspects to the Criminal Investigation Department in Lafia for further investigation.
