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Tag: Kidnap

  • Minister condemns kidnap of school children in Ekiti

    Minister condemns kidnap of school children in Ekiti

    The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake has condemned the kidnapping of some school children in Ekiti.

    The minister condemned the act in a statement he personally signed on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Recall that about six pupils, three teachers and the bus driver of a private school in Emure-Ekiti were abducted while returning to Eporo-Ekiti on Monday.

    Alake also condemned the killing of two traditional rulers in Ekiti, who were reportedly killed while returning from a security meeting in Irele-Ekiti by suspected kidnappers.

    They were said to be in a vehicle being driven by one of their colleagues, the Alara of Ikole Ekiti, when they were attacked by gunmen along a community in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State on Monday.

    “I received with deep sadness,  the report of yesterday’s killing of two traditional rulers in Ekiti, the Onimojo of Imojo- Ekiti, Oba Olatunde Samuel Olusola and the Elesun of Esun-Ekiti, Oba David Babatunde Ogunsola.

    “These two traditional rulers, according to media reports, were gruesomely murdered by their assailants while returning from a security meeting.

    “The tragic incident, again, speaks to the challenges of insecurity in our country, which the President Nola Tinubu-led administration is working very hard to surmount,” he said.

    Alake urged security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous crime, and ensure they faced the full wrath of the law.

    He commiserated with the governor of Ekiti, Abiodun Oyebanji; the government and people of Ekiti, especially the families and subjects of the traditional rulers.

    Recall that the governor had described the incident as callous and unacceptable in a statement, and said that security agencies in the state were already on the trail of the abductors to ensure their safe return.

    He said that security is being beefed up across the state with the aim of taking criminals from their hideouts.

  • Police confirm kidnap of Abia state varsity DVC

    Police confirm kidnap of Abia state varsity DVC

    The Nigeria Police, Abia Command, has confirmed the kidnap of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) Abia State University (ABSU), Prof. Godwin Emezue.

    The confirmation was contained in a statement issued in Umuahia on Saturday by Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) Abia Police Command, ASP Maureen Chinaka.

    The PPRO said that about 9.30pm Saturday, the Abia Police Command received information stating that the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) of ABSU, Prof. Godwin Emezue, was kidnapped at about 7 pm.

    She said the DVC was kidnapped in the presence of his while purchasing fuel at a petrol station in Umuekwu Amachara, Umuahia South LGA, Abia State.

    “During the incident, the hoodlums confiscated his wife’s ATM card, dragged the Deputy Vice-Chancellor into a Lexus SUV, and drove away with the victim.

    “The Abia State Police Command is deploying resources and assets including intelligence and technical aid towards unraveling the crime, and safely rescuing the victim from his captors”, Chinaka said.

    The PPRO urged the cooperation of the public, through the provision of information that could lead to the rescue of the victim and in enhancing security in the state.

    She further called on Abia residents to remain calm and continue their legitimate activities while maintaining vigilance and security consciousness.

  • Police rescue, reunite kidnapped victims with family in Abuja

    Police rescue, reunite kidnapped victims with family in Abuja

    The Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) said it has rescued victims of Jan. 2 kidnap incident in Bwari Area Council of the FCT and reunited them with their families.

    The Police Public Relations Officer in the FCT, SP Josephine Adeh said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

    She said the victims were rescued by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Police Command in the FCT in collaboration with troops of the Nigerian Army.

    Adeh said the victims were rescued at about 11:30pm on Saturday around Kajuru forest in Kaduna State.

    She commended the Inspectors-General of Police (I-G), Mr Olukayode Egbetokun for the deployment of the newly inaugurated Special Intervention Squad in the area.

    The FCT police spokesperson said the deployment had uplifted the existing security architecture of the FCT and brewed public confidence.

    Adeh said the Commissioner of Police in charge of FCT, Mr Haruna Garba had pledged the commitment of the command to sustain the robust security deployment in all parts of FCT.

    She urged FCT residents to promptly report suspicious activities in their areas to the police on 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653 and 08028940883.

    In another statement, Adeh said the command was aware of the news making the rounds about an alleged kidnap incident at River Park Estate in the early hours of Saturday.

    According to her, contrary to reports, nobody was kidnapped in River Park Estate.

    “One Nnandi Agu of Games Village only faked his own kidnap in an attempt to defraud his brother who lives within the said River Park Estate.

    “The suspect is currently in police custody undergoing interrogation.

    “While investigation is still ongoing, further development would be communicated to the public,” she said.

  • Police disrupt kidnap plans, arrest 3 suspects in Abuja

    Police disrupt kidnap plans, arrest 3 suspects in Abuja

    The Police on Saturday said they have disrupted plans by some kidnap gangs to abduct students and other citizens in Niger and the FCT.

    The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi said during a media briefing in Abuja on Saturday that three members of the gangs have been arrested.

    He said the suspects were arrested on Jan. 17, by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) following credible intelligence.

    Adejobi said the IRT on Jan. 15 received credible intelligence that a GSM number under surveillance belonging to one of the suspects called another GSM number, informing the recipient of a plan to carry out a kidnap operation.

    According to him, in the GSM conversation, the suspect also told the recipient that he has invited other kidnapping gangs and promised to carry out the operation with him.

    Adejobi said the suspect also called another person on phone, who was later discovered to be a member of the gang, informing him that a civil servant in their custody is a very wealthy man with a lot of assets.

    He told the gang member not to release the civic servant unless he pays a minimum of N50 million ransom.

    According to him, in the same conversation, the suspect said he was still carrying out surveillance on a polytechnic in Niger to kidnap students.

    “Investigation has shown that the suspects have been involved in several kidnapping operations in the FCT, including some that happened in Bwari axis.

    “Our operatives are intensifying efforts to rescue the kidnap victims in their captivity and ensure that other members of the gang are arrested,” Adejobi said.

    The force spokesman said police operatives have also arrested a suspect on Thursday in Kaduna over armed robbery and kidnapping.

    Adejobi said the arrest followed a report that a man was abducted by four armed men from his house in Abuja and driven away in his Hilux van, registered RBC 90 DL.

    The four armed men were said to have blocked their victim with their Mercedes Benz car.

    “But luck ran out of them as they were intercepted by police operatives at a filling station in Kaduna where three of them escaped while one was arrested with the Hilux van recovered.

    “The victim was being taken to Kano, but they stopped at Kaduna where they dispossessed him of his ATM cards and transferred N500,000 from his account,” he said.

    He added that investigation had revealed that two of the four armed men were based in Abuja.

    Adejobi recalled that the suspect and his accomplices were earlier arrested in November 2023, but granted bail by an FCT High Court.

    Adejobi denied that the suspected kidnapper was shot dead to cover up investigation.

    “We are here to correct some misinformation being circulated in the social media that the Police have killed the arrested suspects to silence some facts.

    “With the inauguration of Special Intelligence Squad (SIS), the game has changed, there is no need to cover up for anybody or deceive Nigerians when we have cases like this.

    “For those who have been spreading rumours on social media, listen carefully now.

    “The arrested suspect is still alive on a stretcher because he has bullet injury during the operation but he is alive on a stretcher,” he said.

    Adejobi said the suspect was arrested in Kaduna but handed over to the Police Command in the FCT for further investigation.

    Meanwhile, the police spokesman said 16 suspects have been arrested by IRT operatives and the Anti-Violent Crime Unit, FCT Command, over alleged kidnapping, armed robbery, culpable homicide and other criminal offences.

    He said the suspects had all given confessional statements and providing police operatives with relevant information to ensure the arrest of other criminals.

    Adejobi said five AK 47 riffles, 11 pistols, two pump action guns, one English made berretta pistol, 65 rounds of AK 47 live ammunition, and seven rounds of live ammunition for berretta pistol were recovered from the suspects.

    In a related development, the Commissioner of Police in charge of SIS, Mr Ben Igwe, said operatives of the squad had been deployed to all areas of the FCT, including Bwari, which has witnessed high level of kidnapping recently.

  • Gunmen invade Oyo community, kidnap two

    Gunmen invade Oyo community, kidnap two

    Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has confirmed the kidnap of two persons in the early hours of Saturday in Otu town of Oyo State by unknown gunmen.

    The Public Relations Officer of NSCDC in the state, Samuel Opabiyi, gave the confirmation in a telephone interview with NAN in Ibadan on Saturday.

    “Yes, it is true, but the police have taken over the investigation because it falls under their purview,” Opabiyi said.

    Otu is one of the towns in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of the state.

    It was gathered that the two victims were identified as Dayo Olayanju and one Mrs Obasola, whose husband, Kehinde, was said to have escaped with gunshot wounds.

    A community leader in the local government area, who preferred anonymity, said the incident happened in the early hours of Saturday.

    “They were kidnapped in different areas. One was kidnapped on Okeho road.

    “I have confirmed it. Two people were kidnapped, but we don’t know where they have been taken to as at now,” the community leader said.

    However, efforts to get the reaction of the Police Public Relations Officer of the Police Command in the state, Adewale Osifeso, proved abortive, as calls put through to his telephone line were not answered as at the time of filing this report.

  • Video: Military rescue Kidnap victims in Abuja

    Video: Military rescue Kidnap victims in Abuja

    A video making the rounds shows the moment the Nigerian Military rescued some kidnapped victims.

    Recall that in recent times, Kidnapping has become a re-occurring crime in Abuja and the country at large.

    See the video below:

  • Police neutralise 2 kidnap suspects, rescue victim in Delta

    Police neutralise 2 kidnap suspects, rescue victim in Delta

    The Police Command in Delta has neutralised two kidnap suspects and rescued a victim from the kidnappers in the state.

    The command’s spokesman, DSP Bright Edafe who disclosed this to newsmen on Tuesday in Warri, said that assorted weapons and a stolen vehicle were also recovered from the suspects.

    Edafe said that the suspects were neutralised on Saturday in a gun duel with police operatives attached to the Ekpan division in Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.

    He said that the Divisional Police Officer, Ekpan division, CSP Aliyu Shaba, acting on intelligence, led a surveillance team of the division on the trail of the hoodlums.

    “On Dec. 30, 2023, a 23-year-old male parked his GLK 350 Benz SUV on Jakpa Road leaving his brother inside the vehicle to attend to some issues.

    “While there, he was alerted that the vehicle was attacked by three armed men and drove off to an unknown destination with his brother inside.

    “Upon receipt of this information, the Commissioner of Police, Delta Command, Wale Abass directed Shaba to mobilise operatives and ensure that the victim was rescued and the suspects arrested,” he said.

    Edafe said that the DPO, in compliance with the CP’s directive led a surveillance team attached to Ekpan division for the operation.

    “The kidnappers upon sighting the police operatives engaged then in a gun duel and in the process, two of the hoodlums were fatally injured, while one of them escaped with gunshot injuries,” he said.

    Edafe said that the kidnapped victim was rescued unhurt, adding that a single-barrel and one double-barrel gun with two expended cartridges and the stolen vehicle were recovered.

    He said that the two injured suspects were taken to the hospital where they were certified dead by the doctor on duty.

    The police spokesman said that efforts were ongoing to arrest the injured suspect who escaped during the gun duel.

  • Police rescue kidnapped housewife in Kaduna

    Police rescue kidnapped housewife in Kaduna

    The Police Command in Kaduna State, said its operatives have rescued a kidnap victim, a housewife in the early hours of Sunday.

    The command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansur Hassan, told NAN on Sunday in Kaduna.

    Hassan said at about 0100hrs on Sunday our operatives received a call that a group of armed men not yet ascertained invaded a residence at Dogarawa area of Sabon Gari Zaria LGA.

    ”The kidnappers kidnapped a housewife aged 37, at the residence

    “On receiving the call our team of patrol rushed to the scene and pursued the criminals. Due to our firepower superiority, they abandoned the kidnapped victim, which led to her rescue.”

    He said the kidnapped victim had been reunited with her family unhurt.

    Hassan said investigation was ongoing, while efforts were also intensified to arrest the fleeing suspects to face the full wrath of the law.

    He appealed for timely and useful information for proactive measures.

  • Police rescue 2 kidnap victims in Delta

    Police rescue 2 kidnap victims in Delta

    The Police Command in Delta has rescued two kidnap victims at Ibada-Elume community in Sapele Local Government Area of the state

    Spokesman of the command, DSP Bright Edafe, told newsmen on Tuesday in Warri that the victims were rescued on Monday, same day they were abducted.

    Edafe said that feat was achieved with the combined team of police operatives attached to the Sapele division; Sapele Area Command Tactical Team and local vigilantes.

    He said operatives responded after the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Sapele Division, received information that there was a kidnap incident on the Warri-Sapele Expressway

    “Upon receipt of the complaint, the DPO immediately mobilised a combined team from the Division; Area Command tactical team, and vigilantes.

    “The DPO led the team to the bush in Ibada-Elume , including the swampy areas.

    “At about 4:10 pm of same date, the hoodlums, on noticing that the team was closing in on them, abandoned their victims and took to their heels,” he said.

    Edafe said that the two kidnap victims were rescued unhurt, adding that they had since been reunited with their families.

    He said that the command was on the trail of the fleeing suspects to apprehend them.

  • No ransom paid for release of Benue kidnapped commissioner – Gov. Alia

    No ransom paid for release of Benue kidnapped commissioner – Gov. Alia

    Gov. Hyacinth Alia of Benue said no ransom or any monetary exchanges were involved in securing the release of his Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Mathew Abo.

    This was contained in a statement on Thursday signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Sir Tersoo Kula and made available to newsmen in Makurdi.

    The governor stated that no ransom or monetary exchanges were involved in securing his safe release.

    “We can confirm that the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Matthew Abo, has regained freedom. He has since reunited with his family in Sankera, Ukum Local Government Area where he was abducted.

    “His release was as a result of intense pressure on the criminals from the gallant security operatives who were acting on the directives of Gov. Hyacinth Alia, who had earlier given marching orders to them to ensure Mr. Abo’s release,” he said.

    The statement further disclosed that the kidnappers were still holding the former Chairman, Ukum LGA, Mr Washima Erukaa and his cousin who discreetly went to negotiate with them for the release of Mr Erukaa but were also kidnapped.

    The former chairman was kidnapped at a different location and date.

    Gov Alia, who welcomed back the commissioner, further warned criminals operating within the state to leave for good, insisting that they would not be tolerated in any form.

    The governor commended the security operatives for ensuring the safe release of the commissioner and tasked them to ensure the safe release of the remaining captives.

    He charged the security operatives to be ruthless on criminals and ensure that they have no room to operate in the state.

    Mr Abo, who was kidnapped on Sept. 24, spent 10 days in captivity before regaining his freedom.

    Gunmen came on four motorcycles about 8:00 p.m., ordered everyone in the house, including the commissioner’s wife and children, to lie face down and took him away to an unknown destination on one of the motorcycles.