Men of the Nigeria Police Force have staged a brilliant rescue effort, bringing home to safety some kidnap victims in Benue.
Men of the Nigeria Police Force
Only about three days after the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, signed into law the Anti-Kidnapping Bill, operatives of the anti-kidnapping unit of the Benue State Police Command on Friday stormed a kidnappers’ hideout in Ushongo Local Government Area of the state and rescued one kidnap victim unhurt.
According to Punch Metro, it was gathered that the police also arrested the victims’ suspected abductor, with the supposed ransom of N500,000, a locally fabricated Beretta pistol and one live ammunition.
Parading the suspected kidnapper alongside other suspects at the Police Command headquarters in Makurdi, the state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Moses Yamu, said the victim, Mr. Ape, the proprietor of Excel Grace School Gboko, was abducted on Wednesday in Gboko, Gboko LGA of the State.
He said the victim was rescued following a volunteered information to the command that five kidnappers were holding one victim for ransom in Ushongo.
According to Yamu, one Isaac Atsor, 33, was arrested when the hideout was raided, while the four others escaped from the scene.
He explained that while investigation and manhunt for the fleeing gang members was ongoing, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect (Atsor), had just finished serving a jail term on March 22 and was released from prison custody in connection with similar act .
According to the police spokesperson, the kidnap victim, Mr. Ape, has since been reunited with his family, while the suspect, Isaac Atsor, has confessed to committing the crime with four others who are now at large.
“The CP is committed to eradicating kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism and all forms of crimes in Benue State,” Yamu added.
In a related development, the PPRO said that on April 19, policemen on stop-and-search duty along Aliade-Otukpo road intercepted one Victor Ogbu, 25, suspected to be cultist and in possession of a locally fabricated Beretta pistol with four live ammunition.
”The suspect confessed to being a cultist and a student of University of Agriculture Makurdi,” Yamu said.
According to him, the command had, on May 14 at about 2200hrs arrested four other suspects with fabricated dummy guns while carrying out nefarious activities at Ikyowe village in Katsina Ala, Katsina Ala LG area of the state.
ASP Yamu said a notorious armed robbery gang had been terrorising innocent motorists along Katsina Ala- Zaki Biam road and dispossessing people of their valuables.
He maintained that the robbers were arrested when operatives responded to a distress call that some robbers had blocked the road, robbing innocent citizen.
He said they would all be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.