Benue State Police Command has arrested three suspected kidnappers who killed driver and abducted nine passengers, before their rescue by police operatives.
The suspects were identified as Saleh Hassan, Yakubu Alhaji Kande and Yunusa Idris, all of Keana Local Government Area, Nasarawa State.
Confirming the arrest in a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Catherine Anene, said that the command was informed of the kidnap of passengers on Thursday, June 13, at about 5pm, while on Ojano-Oglewu Road on their way to Makurdi from Onitsha in Anambra State.
The PPRO said: ”Information was received that while a Benue Links vehicle was conveying passengers from Onitsha to Makurdi , gunmen suddenly emerged from a nearby forest around Ojano-Oglewu and shot sporadically at the vehicle, causing the vehicle to stop at the forest.
“The driver of the said vehicle sustained gunshot injuries that led to his death, while the passengers were kidnapped.”
She said that while nine victims were later rescued, during investigation, the three suspects were trailed on Monday, June 17, and arrested in connection with the case.
Also, three suspected internet fraudsters were nabbed by a team of police operatives who raided a criminal hideout at Kigh village along Naka road on Monday, June 17.
The PPRO gave the names of the suspects as Philip Matthew, aged 25; Haribu Jafai, aged 27 and 24-year-old John Ode Arubi.
Items recovered from the suspects included two iPhones, five laptops, different ATM cards suspected to have been used for fraud and five 9mm live ammunition.
Saying that the suspects confessed to be internet fraudsters as seen on their phones and laptops, SP Anene stated that investigation was ongoing.
