One Shehu Baidu has been paraded by the Niger State Police Command for alleged kidnapping while a suspected drug dealer, Chinedu Makata, was arrested by operatives of the command.
While Baidu, a suspected member of a kidnapping syndicate was arrested for terrorising Gurara, Lapai Local government areas and its environs, Makata, aged 34, from Enugu State, was nabbed while selling Indian hemps in Bangi, Mariga LG.
The state command, through the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, in a statement, said the suspected kidnapper was picked following intelligence.
According to the police, the 18-year-old Baidu from Kango, Lapai LG, confessed that between May 2021 and August 2022, he conspired with his gang members and invaded Gurara Dam Site and Maijaki village, where they kidnapped 10 persons.
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The suspect and his other seven gang members collected a ransom of N2.6 million before setting the captives free, the police spokesman quoted Baidu to have said.
The gang members, including Mamman Mallam, Sidi, Buba, Shehu, Abubakar, Kura-Kura and Chede, all males of no fixed address, operated with three AK-47 rifles during the attacks on the communities.
According to him, “he further confessed that in August, 2022, he contacted one Shehu of Saminaka village via Lapai to purchase five soft drinks, five packets of cigarette and two loaves of bread for him to take same to his gang members in their hideout.”
On Makata, Abiodun stated that, “during the raid, 47 wraps of suspected Indian hemp and some other suspected hard drugs were recovered from the shop.
“In the process of effecting the arrest of the said shop owner, he pulled out a locally made gun and threatened to shoot the police operatives. However, he was later disarmed and arrested by the police team.”
Suspects have been arraigned in court for prosecution.