BEVERLY HILLS, August 03, (THEWILL) – The Police has through its ‘Operation Absolute Sanity’ arrested Aliyu Bello, identified as the grand commander virtually in charge of all the kidnap groups operating along the Abuja-Kaduna highway and adjoining villages.
Also apprehended was the chief armourer of one of the notorious groups, Mohammadu Majuma, and the intelligence officer, Abdulahi Adamu, alongside 38 other members of the gang.
Parading the 40 suspects at Rijana village, along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway, Force Public Relations Officer, FPRO Jimoh Moshood, said they were arrested at various villages along the highway, where they had their operational bases.
He disclosed that most of the suspects had confessed to the crime, revealing that those nabbed operated in different groups along the expressway.
Items recovered from them include three double-barrel guns, two single-barrel guns, one assault rifle mounted with telescope, one locally-made revolver pistol with 9.62 ammunition, pump-action rifle, locally-made 5MG, 30 live cartridges, assorted ammunition, two magazines, assorted charms, five laptops, three iPads, assorted mobile telephone handsets, jewelry and wristwatches, among others.
Jimoh, while disclosing that the police had taken over bushes by the highway, said efforts were on to arrest the sponsors of the group, who were still at large.
Assuring road users of safety on the Kaduna-Abuja highway and other highways across the country, as the police had intensified patrols, the FPRO called on villagers and community leaders in crime-prone areas to collaborate with the police and other security agencies to rid their localities of criminals.
Speaking with newsmen, the armourer said he also responsible for servicing, maintaining and issuing weapons to kidnappers in the area. He added that he bought sophisticated guns from Mararaba Loco, in Nasarawa State, ranging from N500,000, depending on the grade.
The suspect said he had been in the business of selling guns to interested persons for five years, and he sold his weapons at the rate of N550,000 or N600,000, depending on the buyer.
On his part, the chief intelligence officer of the kidnap group, who disclosed that he kept 24-hour watch on their operational base, said he used telescopes to survey the area.
He added that with the telescope mounted on his gun, he was able to spot strange movement around the area. Whenever he spotted intruders, including security agents, he usually shot them.
Moshood went on to assure that the suspects, who are helping the police in investigations, would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded.
This was as he disclosed that some of the victims attacked by the suspects have already identified them.
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