The Kogi State Command of the State Security Service (SSS) said on Wednesday that it had arrested 10 suspected kidnappers.
The state SSS director, Joseph Okpo, told journalists in Lokoja that the
suspects were arrested in different parts of the state in the past two
weeks.
Mr. Okpo, who spoke while parading four of the suspects, said the
suspects were arrested in full military combat uniform last week.
According to him, the suspects are Haruna Saleh, Kabiru Shuaibu, Mumuni Adamu and Tukur Shuaibu.
The SSS director said the suspects were arrested on the Lokoja-Abuja
road on their way from Kaduna with the intent to link up with their
other accomplices in Obajana area, where they had planned to kidnap some
people.
He said the suspects had started making useful statements, adding that
the state Police Command had been contacted to investigate the source of
the military uniforms.
Mr. Okpo said the suspects, during interrogation, confessed to have
carried out six operations between the Ramadan period and the day they
were caught.
“Investigation has revealed that most of the kidnappers operating in the
state are from outside Kogi. The people are taking advantage of the
geographical location and the route structure of the state.”
Mr. Okpo pledged the commitment of the SSS to cooperate with other
security agencies to address the security challenge facing the state.
One of the suspects, Mumuni Adamu, said they bought the military
uniforms from a commercial motorcycle operator at the cost of N1,500 a
pair.
Mr. Adamu, who claimed to be the leader of the gang, said that he had
been living in Obajana for almost six years but got involved in
Kidnapping and other criminal activities in 2015.
(NAN)
