Suspect paraded by the police.
Cecilia Onah, Lafia
The Nasarawa State command of the Nigeria Police Force has arrested a suspected kidnapper in the Awe Local Government Area of the state.
The State’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ramhan Nansel, made the disclosure while parading 29 other suspected criminals arrested for committing various crimes in the state.
Nansel who paraded the suspects at the command’s headquarters in Lafia on Friday, explained that some of them committed crimes ranging from kidnapping and armed robbery while others were arrested with dangerous weapons and ammunition.
DSP Nansel said the suspected kidnapper, Zakari Umar, who had been on the watchlist of the police command, was recently apprehended following painstaking efforts by officers of the command.
He said, “We received a complaint at the Awe Area Command on 18/06/2023 at about 1pm that a victim was called and threatened to pay the sum of one million and five hundred thousand naira (N1,500.000) or risk being kidnapped and killed.
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“Police detectives attached to Awe Area Command launched a diligent investigation into the matter, where one Zakari Umar Alias Dan Wudil ‘M’ 28years of Mahanga village, Awe LGA was arrested.
“Investigation revealed that the suspect called his victim on phone and threatened him. Due to fear of being kidnapped, the victim was coerced into paying the sum of one million, one hundred and fifty thousand naira (N1,150,000) to the suspect as ransom.
“Upon arrest, the suspect led Police operatives to a farm land where the sum of seven hundred and fifty thousand naira (N750,000) was exhumed and recovered as exhibit. The suspect has confessed to the crime.”
The PPRO also paraded two other suspects, Timothy James, 21years and Simon Oliver, 19years both of Karkashi village, Lafia LGA who were arrested for an armed robbery related case in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.
“Investigation revealed that the suspects attacked a farmer in a bid to rob him but the victim raised alarm which attracted Police operatives that were on patrol in the area. One Lugard (English made pistol), one locally fabricated pistol and two rounds of live ammunition were recovered from the suspects as exhibit,” he added.
While warning all criminals to leave the state without further delay, DSP Nansel said the Commissioner of Police, Maiyaki Baba, had directed that the suspects be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department in Lafia for a thorough investigation into their cases, after which, they would be charged to court for prosecution.
