By Hassan Zaggi
The operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested three suspected kidnappers for their involvement in the kidnap of the 126 Bethel Baptist School students.
Recall that few weeks ago, kidnappers took away 126 students of the Bethel Baptist School in Kaduna. This attracted an uproar of condemnation from both within and outside the country.
The suspects were paraded by the Force Spokesman, CP Frank Mba, in Abuja, Thursday.
The suspects who include Isiaka Lawal, 26, Muazu Abubakar, 27 and Adamu Bello, 27, according to CP Mba, were arrested following painstaking investigation by the Operatives.
“Muazu Abubakar did a surveillance of the Bethel School, understood the security architecture of the area and informed his syndicate members before the attack,” Mba said.
He, however, decline to speak more on the kidnappers because, according to him, the issue is still under investigation in order to arrest the remaining suspects.
Meanwhile, the Police have arrested a fake Army Captain, Monday Akawu, who specializes in stealing musical instruments from churches in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The suspect is said to be a member of a criminal syndicate that robbed more than 30 churches within Nyanya and Karu axis of the FCT.
Akawu was paraded by the Force Spokesman, alongside his accomplice, Joseph Orazulike, 35 years of EFAB Estate Maraba, Karu who is a regular buyer of those stolen items.
While parading the suspects, CP Mba, said that the suspects have committed what he described as a “sacrilegious act” and thereby urged church leaders to provide “more security around their churches.”
Akawu, however, confessed that, he has participated in the burglary of at least 16 churches located in Nasarawa and some parts of Abuja.
He also said most of the churches he robbed include The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and Mountain of Fire Ministries (MFM).
He further stated that, he usually dress in Army uniform to beat security checks after each robbery.
“I am here because I stole from the church. I have so far stolen from sixteen churches which includes Mountain of Fire and Redeemed Church of God.
“When I break into church, my boss taught me to bring those instruments out while a vehicle comes with Nigeria Army uniforms; I now change into the uniform in order to bypass security on the road.
“I usually sell each piano keyboard between 60,000 to 90,000 naira depending on how neat they are,” the suspect said.
Monday is said to be an ex-convict who was imprisoned at Kuje Prison over a rape case while Joseph was also arrested before for receiving stolen items.
On the recent successes of the Special Tactical Squad (STS) in Abuja, CP Mba revealed that the unit has within the past few days arrested 50 suspects comprising of 48 male and two females.
The suspects, he noted have been indicted for different offences ranging from murder, kidnapping, cattle rustling, armed robbery, car theft, illegal possessions of prohibited firearms, possession and distribution of illicit drugs among other offences established against them.
Items recovered from the arrested suspects, Mba said, include: 26 assorted firearms, made up 13 AK 47 rifles, four soft machine guns, four locally made pistols, four dane guns among others.
Others include 2, 701 live ammunition of AK 47, 20 live GPMG ammunition, 12 Piano Keyboard and other eletronic appliances stolen from churches.
Mba revealed that, investigations conducted showed how Monday Akawu, the principal suspect has had a long pathway with crime.
He, therefore, urged church leaders across the country to ensure physical security in and around the churches as investigation with the suspects indicated clear that the suspects considered the churches vulnerable and weak targets because they believe that they are no guards or security of any sort provided.
He advised church leaders not just to provide human guards but also install cameras in their churches and ensure sufficient lighting in and around the churches.
“We are also calling on all church leaders in and around Abuja that might have been affected in recent time to visit STS office with means of identification to recover their stolen items,” CP Mba stressed.
