November 18, (THEWILL) – A combined team of hunters and local vigilantes have intercepted a group of suspected kidnappers around Gorgor and Liya villages, in Hawul LGA of Borno State.
The team also recovered a sophisticated rifle and the sum of N945,000 as exhibits from the kidnappers and handed over the arrested suspects to the Divisional Police Office (DPO), Azare town, for further action.
The North East Chairman and Commander of Hunters/Vigilantes (Sarkin Baka), Mohammed Shawulu Yohanna, disclosed this to newsmen on Friday, in Maiduguri.
Yohanna said his team also arrested some Boko Haram food suppliers and recovered N6.050 million in their possession at Gorgor village, before they were handed over to the authorities of the 231 Battalion, Biu, for further action.
He said the kidnappers invaded a Fulani settlement around Gorgor/Liya communities.
In their plan to abduct the leader of the community, Ardo, they broke his son’s legs, after discovering he was nowhere to be found.
They also collected the sum of N1 million cash from his family members despite his absence, as well as causing serious injury to his son.
“We received a distress call that some kidnappers stormed a Fulani settlement in between Gorgor and Liya communities. I quickly mobilised my team to the area on a rescue mission.
“On reaching the area, we clashed with the kidnappers at about 3 am, which led to an exchange of fire. And fortunately for us, we were able to overwhelm the kidnappers and arrested their leader, who was in possession of a sophisticated rifle.
“We also recovered about N945,000 cash from the leader, as they were able to squander some amount from the N1 million seized from the Fulani men.
“Presently, we took the arrested leader, the recovered money and the rifle to Hawul, where we handed everything we recovered from the suspects over to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), for further investigation”, Yohanna said.
He commended the security agencies and the Borno state government, as well as the Theatre Commander, JTF Operation Hadin Kai, North East, Major General Christopher Musa, for their unflinching support and determination in the collective efforts and fight against insecurity in the state and Northeast region.
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