17 kidnappers nabbed, 5 victims rescued in Nasarawa

The Nasarawa State Police Command has arrested 17 suspected kidnappers and rescued five victims abducted by the suspects.

The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ramhan Nansel said this while parading the suspects on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Baba Maiyaki, on Thursday in Lafia.

Nansel added the suspects were arrested during various operations across the state between February 10 and April 19, based on intelligence.

According to him, the five victims were rescued successfully from the various operations, with four arms and eight rounds of live ammunition recovered from the suspects.

He further alleged an investigation revealed that some of the suspects were responsible for the series of kidnappings on the Nasarawa Eggon-Akwanga road, parts of Lafia and environs as well as in the southern axis of the state.

He also added some of the suspects had confessed to being members of a kidnapping syndicate operating in Bali, Taraba, who had to relocate to Awe in Nasarawa State after security operatives had neutralised their colleagues.

The police spokesman said the command had also arrested five suspects for alleged armed robbery and two others for alleged cattle rustling.

He asserted that all the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.