The Police command in Kogi on Wednesday paraded 23 people, suspected to be armed robbers, kidnappers and cultists, recovering nine assorted rifles and other dangerous weapons from the hoodlums.
The Spokesman of the command, DSP. William Aya, while parading the suspects in Lokoka, said that they comprised five kidnappers, five cultists and 13 robbery suspects.
He said that two of the robbery suspects, Jacob Ufedoh and Abubakar Zadiq, were students of the Kogi State Polytechnic while another suspect, Paul Atobo, was re-arrested exactly one month after serving out a three-year jail term for armed robbery.
According to Aya, Atobo, Ukwumdu Agono, Ebeh Musa, Ameh James, Ahmed Adams, Musa Mansur, AbdulHakeem Oyiza and Faruk Apasi were all arrested for robbery in Ayingba, Idah and Lokoja.
The spokesman said that Adams, Mansur, Oyiza and Apasi were arrested for invading students’ hostels at the Kogi State Polytechnic in Lokoja on Nov. 23, where they dispossessed students of laptops, phones, money and other valuables at gun point.
Five other suspects, Abubakar Ali, Yusuff Adamu, Seidu Adamu, Abdulkadir Adamu and Mati Sule, were arrested for kidnapping one Mohammed Bello at Fulani Camp at Osara Village on Nov. 15.
Aya stated that the suspects after the abduction, called the family of their victim to start demanding millions as ransom, saying that they were arrested in the process.
Five members of “Aro Baga’’, a cult group, were also paraded by the police chief for allegedly attacking the Adankolo Police Station in Lokoja on Nov. 17.
The suspects are Babangida Ibrahim, Shitu Jubril, Mola Samuel, Stephen Samson and Emmanuel Simon all of Adankolo Community in Lokoja.
“They beat up police officers on duty to states of coma and caused various degrees of damage to the police station and other valuables,” the spokesman said.
One Abdulahi Isah was also arrested for being in possession of two pistols, while three other persons were also paraded for being in possession of laptops and assorted telephones believed to be stolen items.
Items recovered from the suspects include two AK47 rifles, one pump action rifle, one dane gun, one single barrel gun, one locally made double barrel gun, one English pistol, two locally made pistols and 60 rounds of live ammunitions.
Also recovered are three machetes, two motorcycles, 11 laptops and assorted telephone sets among other items.
Aya said that all the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded. (NAN)