…Seven Kidnap Victims Rescued in Niger State

By Wole Mosadomi, Minna

The Niger State Police Command has arrested ten suspected armed robbers and rescued seven kidnapped victims in separate operations across the state within the past week.

Three of the suspects were apprehended after a robbery in Bosso Estate, Minna, where they used a toy gun and screwdrivers to steal a white Toyota Camry (Reg. No: KNT 785 SN). The suspects—Umar Mukhtar (25) and Shuaibu Ahmed (30), both of Okada Road, Minna, and Mohammed Ibrahim Abba (25) of Tafa, Kaduna State—were intercepted at Dikko Junction in Suleja Local Government Area while attempting to transport the stolen vehicle to Kaduna.

According to the state police spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, one Mustapha of Angwan-Kaje, now on the run, led the gang during the May 3rd robbery. Investigations revealed that the trio carried out the robbery after failing to get cash from the victim, eventually fleeing with the victim’s car when his wife returned home during the attack.

Police are currently tracking Mustapha, who fled Dikko shortly after the incident.

In another operation on May 1st, police operatives from ‘B’ Division, Suleja, disrupted an armed robbery attempt at APC Quarters, Suleja, arresting seven out of thirteen suspected robbers. The first to be caught, Mubarak Mohammed (16), led officers to the hideout of his accomplices.

The arrested suspects include:

Ibrahim Mohammed (20) – identified as the gang leader

Abdullahi Yakubu (18)

Mohammed Abubakar (18)

Nasiru Musa (17)

Shamsudeen Musa (18)

Ahmed Ali – all residents of Galadima area, FCT-Abuja

Items recovered from their hideout under a mango tree along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway include:

Six cutlasses

Three torchlights

Charms

Fourteen mobile phones

Four bags

Meanwhile, in Mashegu Local Government Area, seven kidnapped victims were rescued after a confrontation between police officers and suspected kidnappers. The assailants had earlier attacked Tungan-Boka and Masaha villages around 7 a.m., abducting seven people and killing one Garba Mohammed during the raid.

Later that day, at about 5 p.m., a joint team of police and vigilante operatives, led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), tracked the kidnappers to a forest in Tungan-Boka. The suspects engaged the team in a gun battle but eventually fled, allowing the safe rescue of all seven hostages.

The Niger State Police Command reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safety of residents and continuing its crackdown on criminal elements across the state.