HOW POLICE GOT ABUJA KADUNA HIGHWAY TERROR GANG
Police on Monday paraded eight persons arrested previous week who were suspected to be behind recent kidnappings along the AbujaKaduna and Kaduna-Zaria highways.
They include Adamu Mamman, said to be the gang leader, Ali Rabo, Shehu Idris Shagari, Umar Antijo, Auwalu Ahmadu, Babangida Abdullahi, Usman Abdulmumuni and Ahmadu Abdulahi.
Mamman, 35, is said to be from Amana village, Shagari, 27, is from Gadan Gayan village in Igabi Local Government Area of the state, Ali Rabo, known as Blakky, is from Liman Ibada village in Chikun Local Government Area, Auwalu Ahmad, aka Mota, Umar Antijo, 27, and Babangida Abdullahi are all from Rijana village in Kachia Local Government Area of the state.
Findings by our correspondents revealed that some of the suspects were among those that unleashed terror in Rijana, a town about 50 kilometers from Kaduna City, and its surroundings as well as on the Abuja- Kaduna express way. Terror reign grounds activities
The effect of their operations was so intense that people dreaded travelling along the road to and from Abuja while residents of communities along the road could no longer go to their farms or engage in their daily businesses without constantly having to look over their shoulders.
Many of the villagers preferred to remain anonymous for fear of being targeted for giving information to the press when our correspondents visited recently. They noted that life had become very difficult for them due to the reign of criminals in and around Rijana.
Rijana, with its big forest and mountain, provides a perfect cover
for the underworld and most of the kidnap cases along the AbujaKaduna highway take place within the vicinity. It was further gathered that some kidnap victims were brought from other locations and kept in the bushes around Rijana until ransom was paid. Community members frightened, helpless
A member of the community who pleaded anonymity said: “We know them, but there was nothing we could do about them because some times when you give out information about them, they would come and attack you when they are released.”
He said a young man was recently lured into the bush by the kidnappers when they learnt that he gave out information leading to the arrest of some of them and since then people are scared to talk.
The villagers however said they had no doubt that the police had hit the mark in arresting the suspects as crime has abated along the route for about two weeks now. They said the kidnappers operated from behind a huge rock near a river which makes it difficult to be accessed by other villagers.
“We don’t go near the place, but they find it convenient to operate from there because the area is vast with thick bushes and there is a huge rock where they can hide for days without being detected,” said Abdulsalami Abubakar Rijanna, a former aide to the chairman of the local government who spoke with our correspondent.
He said, “We, the people of the community, don’t feel safe, we are facing serious security challenges in all facets of our life, we cannot even go to the farm. Farmers are scared of going to the farm because of what is happening in the town, for some of us that are rearing caws you cannot go outside the town with them.” He said the police would achieve more if they listen to people of the community and guarantee their safety.
Luck ran out on this particular gang when early this month, within a week, more than 20 persons were kidnapped along the Abuja-Kaduna express way, including a member of the House of Representatives, an army officer, four members of the same family and other travelers.
Before then, a diplomat, a top official of the Dangote Group and many others were kidnapped on the road. Worried by the increasing rate of crime on the route, the Nigeria Police deployed 600 personnel and 90 vehicles to patrol the road and fish out the kidnappers and other criminal elements who made travelling on the road a nightmare.
The police stationed 250 of its men in Rijana village alone due to the concentration of suspected criminals and criminal hideouts there. Based on information from reliable sources, the police busted the hideout of the kidnappers at the foot of a mountain and arrested Mamman and Rabo who on interrogation gave the names of the other members of the gang who were also picked up at random following tips from members of the public.
Two of the suspects were picked from their business points in Rijana. Ahmadu was said to have been picked up from his meat shop. The rest were picked from various villages around Rijana based on similar tips and taken to Abuja. ASP MD Muhammad, the personal assistant to the Kaduna State commissioner of police, told our correspondents that the suspects were arrested based on identification by members of the public who were victims.
He said most of them were arrested in Rijana and the surrounding villages. Police spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood, said they were arrested after a joint team led by the IGP Intelligence Response Team arrested some suspects directly involved in the kidnap of a driver to the chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, five students of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria and Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic Zaria, among others.
Col. Yakubu Yusuf (rtd), the coordinator of Operation Yaki security outfit, said the suspects were picked up on Thursday and Friday last week by Operation Yaki surveillance patrol teams in a joint operation with the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Teams (IRT) and support from the Technical Intelligence Unit (TIU). He said the suspects were arrested at various locations including Maraban Jos, Ungwan Pama, Sabon Gayan and Rijana villages.
“The arrest of the kidnappers is sequel to the massive deployment of more police assets and patrol vehicles in the area in the last one week,” he said.
Mobile policemen were deployed from Kaduna, Abuja, Katsina, jigawa, Akwanga, Lafiya,
Zaria Minna, Rivers and Makurdi. Doubts over complicity of some suspects
Residents of Rijana, from where most of the suspects were picked, said as soon as the police deployed more men and patrol vehicles to the area, the kidnap kingpins who they had all along suspected, disappeared. They said they were concerned that two of those arrested might just have been set up due to their disagreements within some of the known criminals.
They said this was because they were aware that Abdullahi had several times rebuffed the bid to make him buy stolen cattle, adding that this had put him on the wrong side with the suspected criminals who may have deliberately included his name to get back at him.
They said another suspect, Usman, may have also been set up because they suspected that he might have been behind the information that led to the arrest of some of them.
Said Rijanna, “I appeal to Abba Kyari that when they arrest people, they should bring them to the community let’s see them and show them who are not involved in crime.”
Some victims have identified the suspects to be among the kidnap gangs on the highway.
A resident said those arrested and paraded by the police are actually the errand boys of the real kidnap kingpins who are still at large. He said those paraded would not have the financial strength to buy the kind of weapons used by the criminals. He suggested with government support, residents would cooperate to wipe out kidnapping from the area, even as they were displeased that the police crackdown came a little late.