Sustained deployments of police operatives along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway and Kaduna State by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, have yielded fruits, as the leader of a kidnap syndicate which carried out a train attack along Abuja-Kaduna expressway, Ibrahim Abdullahi, has been arrested.
At a press briefing on Thursday, May 2, the Force spokesman, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, told journalists that Abdullahi, a.k.a Mande, was arrested at Abuja-Kaduna Road flyover by Rido Junction.
According to the FPRO, during interrogation, the suspect confessed to being the leader of a syndicate terrorising Kaduna-Abuja highway, ranked among other criminals like Dogo Gide and Bello Turji.
He disclosed that he had participated in various kidnapping incidents, including the kidnapping incident at Green Field University.
He also confessed to his active involvement in almost all the kidnappings along the Abuja-Kaduna highway.
Adejobi said that from the confessional statements of the suspects, it was learnt that on March 28, 2022, Ibrahim, alongside one Auwal Ayuba who was also paraded for kidnapping, and one Babangida Alhaji Bello, were part of the armed group that attacked the train on its way from Abuja in the Kateri-Rijana area of Kaduna State, killing several passengers and abducting others.
The FPRO stated that a strategic initiative implemented along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway was the deployment of a helicopter as an escort for trains traversing the route.
This move, he said, had led to massive successes in the fight against violent crimes in the state between January 2024 till date.
“This measure, under the directive of the Inspector General of Police, serves as both a deterrent to criminal elements and a rapid response mechanism in the event of any untoward incidents, ultimately enhancing security along the corridor and in the state at large.”
He added: “The relentless efforts of the Nigeria Police Force have yielded remarkable outcomes, including the arrest of 81 armed robbery suspects, 40 kidnap suspects, 73 murder/homicide suspects, 36 rape suspects, 22 suspects involved in cult-related crimes, and 28 suspects engaged in other criminal activities.
“Similarly, the police have successfully recovered 16 firearms of various types, along with 686 ammunition of diverse calibres.
“Additionally, our operations have led to the retrieval of 28 stolen vehicles, over 200 harmful weapons, and 600 bags of fertilizers.
“A total of three million, three hundred and fifty thousand Naira (N3,350,000) only, previously paid as ransom to kidnappers, has been successfully recovered, while our swift and coordinated efforts have resulted in the safe rescue of 158 kidnapped victims, all of whom have been reunited with their families unharmed.”
Disclosing that majority of the suspects had been charged to court, ACP Adejobi said that 63 of the suspects brought to the press had yet to be prosecuted.
He said the IGP reaffirmed the dedication of the Nigeria Police Force to ensuring the safety and security of all citizens.
IGP Egbetokun also stressed the Force’s commitment to replicating these successful intervention and operations across the country.
This, he assured, was to ensure that movement from one part of the country to another does not become a challenge due to the activities of criminal elements in the society.
