Niger: Police smash kidnap ring, recover 10 AK-47 rifles

Niger State Police Command has dismantled a notorious kidnapping syndicate linked to violent attacks in parts of the state and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, recovering 10 AK-47 rifles and arresting 71 suspects in a month-long offensive against criminal networks.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, disclosed the achievements during a press briefing in Minna, saying the command’s intelligence-driven operations in July also led to the recovery of 15 AK-47 magazines, 330 rounds of live ammunition and the rescue of kidnap victims.

Elleman said the breakthrough followed months of surveillance on armed gangs terrorising communities around Garam, Chachi, Ijah-Gwari, Ijah-Koro, Gauraka and the Kaduna Road corridor.

According to him, the suspected gang leader, Samaila Ilya, alias Yakumujuri, was arrested on July 10 at Kpakungu Roundabout, Minna, after earlier escaping during a fierce gun battle with police operatives in Bwari, Abuja.

During interrogation, the CP stated that the suspect allegedly confessed to participating in several kidnapping operations in Gauraka, Kubwa and Bwari while also narrating how members of the gang killed the son of a kidnapped woman despite collecting ransom before eventually releasing her.

The police commissioner said information supplied by the suspect led operatives to hidden weapons dumps in Gauraka forest and Bwari, where additional AK-47 rifles and ammunition were recovered.

Elleman explained that five other suspected members of the gang were also arrested, while three kidnapped victims were rescued during a tactical operation.

In another major operation, police intercepted one Zubairu Mohammed in Tegina, Rafi Local Government Area, while conveying five AK-47 magazines and 185 rounds of live ammunition concealed inside a bag of cement.

Investigations are ongoing to identify the intended recipient of the weapons.

The commissioner said police also arrested suspects involved in armed robbery, culpable homicide, violent clashes and other criminal activities across the state.

He disclosed that the command rescued nine children and one abducted baby during the period, while recovering 17 stolen goats, four cows, three motorcycles and two vehicles.

Overall, he stated that the command recorded 71 arrests in July, recovered 10 AK-47 rifles, 15 magazines and 330 rounds of ammunition, describing the operations as a significant blow to organised crime in Niger State.

Other exhibits recovered included three cartons of tramadol, two bags of cannabis, 16 cutlasses, three plastic pistols, ATM cards, POS machines, mobile phones, face masks, assorted clothing and cash of ₦352, 000.

Elleman then assured residents that the police would sustain intelligence-led operations and pursue fleeing members of criminal gangs, urging the public to continue providing timely information to security agencies.