By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
Four daredevil kidnappers terrorising Ajaokuta area were on Tuesday arrested through a joint security operation by the Officers and Men of the Nigerian Police and a private security outfit.
“No fewer than 10 victims were rescued from the kidnapper’s den by the joint patrol team arranged by the Kogi State Government to rid the state of criminality.”
The kidnappers were alleged to have been terrorizing the Ajaokuta area of the state and committing crimes like kidnapping, rapping and robbery.
It was gathered that in its bid to raid the state of criminality, the State Government engaged a private security outfit, ‘Base SAN Security Nigeria Ltd’ to collaborate with the Police to ensure the arrest of the kidnappers.
Luck, however, ran out of kidnappers as they were apprehended by police officers who were in a joint patrol with the private security outfit which led to the rescue of ten victims, some are from the eastern flank of the state.
Confirming the arrest and the rescue, the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Kingsley Fanwo told newsmen that the arrested kidnappers are cooperating with investigators adding that the rescued victims would soon be reunited with their families.
He said, “We can confirm that the efforts of the Ododo Administration in engaging duly registered security outfits to work with conventional security agencies are already paying off.”
One of the engaged security outfits, ‘Base SAN Security Nigeria Ltd’ has successfully worked with the Police to help in apprehending some kidnappers that had been terrorizing people in Ajaokuta and travellers along that road to other parts of the state.”
“They acted on a credible intelligence and confronted the kidnappers numbering about four. The kidnappers were overpowered and arrested, leading to the rescue of ten victims in their custody”.
“Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has promised to spare nothing at ensuring that Kogi remains a safe haven for everyone. We are too central to Nigeria to fail this country. The Governor is deploying every resource to ensure the safety of lives and property in the state.”
“The Ajaokuta breakthrough is a warning signal to criminals around the state that the present administration is prepared to make Kogi a safe place for all”, he said.
He thanked the Kogi State Police Command and Base SAN Security Nigeria Ltd for rising to the occasion stressing that the suspects are currently in Police custody for further investigations and prosecution.
