By Hassan Zaggi
Detectives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have arrested 8 kidnappers who are allegedly linked to the kidnappings along Tunga Maje, Kuje and Kwali axis.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Sunday Babaji, disclosed this while parading 19 suspected criminals in Abuja on Thursday.
The 8 suspects who are between the ages of 20 and 45, according to him, include Musa Shehu, Zakari Yau, Mohammed Lawal, Salisu Adamu, Ahmadu Sani Ilyasu, Abdullahi Shuaibu, Abubakar Ilyasu and Luka Parisa.
One of the suspect had since confessed to being responsible for the supply firearms to the bandits.
Exhibits recovered suspected kidnappers, the DCP said, include 4 dane guns, 2 locally fabricated revolvers, 2 locally made pistols, 2 rounds of live ammunition, one motorcycle and one unexpended cartridge.
DCP Babaji, however, revealed that “in the bid to rid the FCT of criminality, the Command has deployed diverse overt/covert crime fighting and prevention strategies.
“We are confident that these strategies adopted including patrols, raids, visibility operations, collaboration with sister agencies and partnership with key community stakeholders will definitely nip crime in the bud within the FCT.”
He, however, reassured resident of the FCT of the Command’s unwavering resolve to protect them and their property.
He, therefore, appealed to the FCT residents to promptly beckon on the Police in the face of any suspicious movements or emergency, “as we have circulated our distress call lines in the media and placed them at strategic locations within the city.”
All the 19 suspects, the DCP reiterated, will soon be arraigned in court.
Among the suspects paraded by the DCP include those in possession of firearms, fraudulent employee, armed robbery suspects, one chance robbery suspects and suspected drug peddlers.
