The Zone 7 Police Command, Abuja, on Tuesday paraded four suspects over alleged armed robbery, kidnapping and also recovered firearms from them.
Benneth Igweh, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of the zone, which comprises FCT and Niger, while parading the suspects in Abuja, said they were arrested by operatives attached to the Special Investigation Squad of the zone after credible intelligence information.
He gave their names as Yahaya Audu from Maje, Niger State, Tanko Yerima, from Gurara, Niger State, Joseph Danjuma, from Furushe, Niger State and Umar Abubakar from Tafa, Niger State.
He said the gang, led by Yahaya Audu, specialises in armed robbery and kidnapping around Tafa, Gurara and Suleja LGAs of Niger State.
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He said the gang leader, Audu confessed to have planned and executed several robbery and kidnap operations alongside his gang members, with locally fabricated AK47 rifles and pistols belonging to Umar Abubakar and Tanko Yerima respectively.
“They further explained that on one of their operations in Tafa LGA, they kidnapped a Fulani man (name unknown) and took him deep into a forest at Shingere village and demanded for ransom from his relatives and the sum of N500,000 was paid before they released the victim,” he said.
He said exhibits recovered from the suspects included a fabricated AK47 rifle, a fabricated Baretta pistol, a locally made pistol loaded with seven rounds of ammunition, three cartridges, a machete, military camouflage hat, boots, and other accoutrements.
AIG Igweh said Yahaya Audu was arrested at Izom market, Gurara LGA, Niger State, while Tanko Yerima and Joseph Danjuma were arrested at Furushe village, Gurara LGA, Niger State, and Umar Abubakar was arrested at Iwa village, Tafa LGA, Niger State.
He further disclosed that the detectives from the zone also arrested three suspects at different locations for hiring motorcycles to criminals and bandits in some parts of Suleja, Niger State.
He gave the names of the suspects as Shamsuddeen Yunusa from Hong LGA, Adamawa State, Zaharadeen Saidu from Soba LGA, Kaduna State, and Mustapha Haruna from Gwami, Adamawa State.
He said the gang also specialises in buying and selling of stolen motorcycles in Suleja, Niger State, with some usually sold to suspected bandits in Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State.
He added that, ‘’During our investigation, it was further revealed that the suspects sell and sometimes hire the motorcycle to criminals believed to be Boko Haram elements terrorising parts of Niger State and Birnin Gwari LGA in Kaduna State.”
Igweh said the leader of the gang, Shamsuddeen, confessed to have sold the recovered motorcycles at the sum of between N200,000 and N250,000.