Police arrest alleged abductors of Sierra Leonean envoy

The Police say they have dismantled a gang of kidnappers in Kaduna which had been terrorizing the state, the Federal Capital Territory, and the North-Central states of Nigeria.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Don Awunah, in a press statement released on Tuesday, said the 11-member gang was behind the abduction of Alfred Claude-Nelson, the Deputy High Commissioner of Sierra Leone to Nigeria, on June 30.

Mr. Awunah said the gang was also responsible for the abduction of an executive director of Dangote Group, and other high profile kidnap cases in recent times.

Mr. Awunah said the arrest was made on July 11 by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police, through a coordinated operation based on intelligence and technical support.

The IRT operates under the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit.

The police gave the names of the arrested gang members as follows: Rabiu Yusuf, 45, said to be the gang leader; Garba Abubakar, 27, aka Habu, said to be the second in command; and Yusuf Adamu, 20.

Others are Hussaini Musa, 25; Shuaibu Idris, 35; Usman Bello, 20; Musa Ali, 45; Muhammadu Abubakar, 30; Suleiman Abubakar, 25; Gambo Ibrahim, 25; and Balarabe Mohammadu, 32.

The police said the IRT tactical surveillance of the Abuja-Kaduna axis and all the adjoining states led to the arrest of the gang members.

Three AK 47 rifles, three AK 47 rifle magazines loaded with ninety rounds of ammunition and two sets of military camouflage uniforms were recovered during the operation, the police said.

The police said the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.