- The recovered items include military camouflage uniforms, camel packs, military hats, clothing, firearms, ammunition, vehicles, illicit drugs, and cash
On Tuesday, the police announced the arrest of 72 suspects nationwide within a two-week period for offenses including kidnapping, murder, car theft, banditry, unlawful possession of firearms, and gun running.
ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force Public Relations Officer, shared this information during a media briefing in Abuja. Of the arrested individuals, 34 were apprehended for alleged kidnapping, leading to the rescue of 22 victims who were subsequently reunited with their families.
The recovered items include military camouflage uniforms, camel packs, military hats, clothing, firearms, ammunition, vehicles, illicit drugs, and cash. Additionally, a suspect was arrested in Kaduna for illegal possession of prohibited firearms, confessing to prior involvement in a kidnapping gang.
He added that on February 9, at about 12:55 a.m., operatives from the FCT Command intercepted and arrested a suspect in a Toyota Hiace bus with Reg No APP 489 XE.
Mr Adejobi said the suspect was conveying 12 underage children, four males and eight females, heading to Ogun.
The police spokesman said preliminary investigation revealed that the children, aged between five and 16 years, all from Nasarawa State, were allegedly being trafficked to Ogun.
He said two other suspects have been arrested in connection with the case. He said efforts are on to reunite the children with their respective families.
Mr Adejobi said in another operation, the FCT anti-kidnapping unit of the command, on February 2, arrested six suspected kidnappers.
He said the suspects were apprehended in a hotel at Bassa Village along Airport Road following actionable intelligence.
“During interrogation, the suspects confessed to being responsible for the abduction of one Joshua Eze on January 27, 2023, around Sabon Lugbe, where the wife suffered a bullet injury in the process of her husband’s abduction.
“Efforts of the operatives led to the successful rescue of Eze on January 28.
“One AK-47 rifle, three cutlasses, 10 mobile phones, cash sum of N345,000 and other valuables were recovered from the suspects,” he added.