Plateau State Police Command, yesterday, paraded 17 suspected criminals arrested from Plateau and Bauchi States. They are suspected kidnappers, October 2021 Jos prison break escape, culpable homicide and armed robbery suspects.
Parading the suspects at the Police Headquarters in Jos, Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bartholomew Onyeka, said the arrested criminal suspects were rounded up from June to August 2022.
Also, suspects of criminal intimidation and defilement, two separate suspected kidnappers, armed robber, car thief and those dealing in illegal arms and ammunition were paraded.
Onyeka said: “Operatives of the Special Tactical Squad attached to the command, through credible intelligence, arrested one Haruna Hamisu, 22, on May 10.
“Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to belonging to wanted kidnap gang, who have been intercepting, robbing and kidnapping motorists and their passengers along Jengre – Saminaka roads.
“Based on the strength of this information, the Federal Investigation Bureau (FIB) Special Tactical Squad trailed the kidnappers to their hideouts in Kudaru forest and arrested one Umaru Hassan, 20; Rufai Hasimu 20 and Adamu Ali, 21, all of Igabi village of Jengre in Plateau State, while other members of their gang escaped.
Onyeka said a Mark 4 Rifle with live ammunition was recovered from the suspects, while investigation is ongoing.
On the re-arrest of October 2021 Jos prison break escapee, the police boss explained that operatives of the Anti -Kidnapping Unit of the Command intensified efforts and re-arrested one Mohammed Ibrahim 39, who escaped from the lawful custody of the Jos Correctional Centre.
“He is among the masterminds of the Jos Correctional facility attack, which took place on November 28, 2021. The suspect was confirmed to be in prison awaiting trial for an alleged case of criminal conspiracy and kidnapping before he escaped.
“He was eventually re-arrested in the month of April 2022 in the Wamba Area of Nasarawa State. He will be handed over to the Nigeria Correctional Centre, Plateau State Command,” he added.
The police chief decried the attitude of citizens for not coming out to volunteer information to the police even when crime is perpetrated in their doorsteps.
According to him, he had personally given out his phone numbers, while his office is open 24 hours, yet nobody has deemed it necessary to come to him to give information.
He commended police officers from the Command for the success recorded, thanked the media for enlightening the populace, and the law-abiding citizens for their cooperation in making the fight against crime and criminality easy in the state.
Source: The Guardian
