The Kaduna State Police Command has arrested 16 suspected kidnappers, three alleged gunrunners and six suspected counterfeit currency dealers, while recovering firearms, stolen property worth millions of naira, livestock and hard drugs during operations conducted across the state in the last two weeks.
Commissioner of Police Rabiu Muhammad disclosed this during a press briefing in Kaduna, saying the command also neutralised notorious kidnappers in separate operations within the period under review.
He said police recovered 10 firearms of different calibres, 190 solar inverters valued at about N69 million, one stolen vehicle, 83 packs of hard drugs, 32 stolen mobile phones, two plasma televisions, 410 cattle and 170 counterfeit United States dollar notes.
According to him, the successes were recorded through intelligence-led operations carried out in collaboration with other security agencies and local vigilante groups.
‘Within the two weeks under review, the Kaduna State Police Command neutralised notorious kidnappers, arrested 16 suspected kidnappers, six suspects found in possession of 170 counterfeit US dollar notes, three suspected gunrunners and recovered 10 firearms of different calibres,’ he said.
Muhammad said operatives arrested a 20-year-old woman, Aisha Barau, in Ramin Kura village on July 21 while she allegedly attempted to exchange counterfeit US dollar notes for naira.
He said the suspect confessed that the fake currency was supplied by Abdullahi Muhammad and Danbala Jibrin, leading to the arrest of other members of the alleged syndicate.
The commissioner also disclosed that operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit arrested three suspected gunrunners in Jos, Plateau State, following credible intelligence.
The suspects, identified as Luka Samuel, John Paul and Musa Elisha, were allegedly found with two locally fabricated pistols and reportedly confessed to supplying arms and ammunition to bandits.
In another operation, Muhammad said security operatives arrested Abdullahi Mohammed, popularly known as ‘Aala’, during a joint operation involving police personnel from Anchau Division and members of the Yan Sa Kai in Kargi village.
He alleged that the suspect confessed to masterminding several kidnappings in Kuzuntu village in Ikara Local Government Area and parts of Kano State, as well as participating in the killing of two Yan Sa Kai members last year.
Police said an AK-47 rifle and five rounds of live ammunition were recovered during the investigation.
The commissioner further said detectives from the Anti-Car Theft Section recovered a stolen Toyota Sienna in Zaria shortly after it was stolen from the premises of a Juma’at Mosque in Ungwan Rimi.
He said the arrest of one Mohammed Shehu led to another suspect, Zakari Abubakar, who allegedly specialised in producing duplicate vehicle keys for car thieves.
The police commissioner also announced the recovery of 190 solar inverters and 10 lithium batteries from a store in Zaria, adding that investigators suspect the items were stolen from a container in transit.