A notorious kidnapping ring operating in Kogi and neighbouring states has been busted by the Nigeria Police Intelligence Response Team, PIRT in a string of operations spanning several weeks.
A statement by the police spokesperson, Donald Awunah on Friday July 15, 2016, said that four victims of the kidnappers were rescued from different locations in Kogi State in the sting operation, while three members of the kidnapping gang died in a gun battle with the police.
Mr. Awunah credited the intelligence operation conducted by the operatives of the inspector general’s Monitoring Unit at different “black spots” in Kogi State for the feat, describing the raid as a “tactical operation”.
Awunah said three members of a notorious kidnap gang that had operated with impunity for some time, were trailed and arrested at their hideouts in the outskirt of Egume and Anyimgba towns in the state. The suspects are Ojonimi Negedu, aged 32, Awodi Ezekiel, aged 26, and Michael Sule, aged 21.
“The leader of the gang who gave his name as Ibrahim Nasarawa led the operatives of IRT to their den where a victim, Edward Abutu Amedu, was held hostage,” the police statement said.
“On sighting the operatives, the armed guards who were stationed by the gang to keep watch over their victims opened fire on the police and the operatives responded and overpowered them in a tactical operation that saw three members of the kidnap gang suffer fatal injuries while their victim was rescued unhurt.
“Two of our men sustained gunshot injuries and are currently responding to treatment in the hospital while the other members of the gang escaped with bullet wounds.”
In another “coordinated operation,” the statement added, that three members of another dare-devil kidnapping gang that had abducted Mrs. Mayo Ohemi, Nichodemus Kadiri and Miss Victoria Abdul, from Acharu Egume area of Kogi State, were arrested and their confession led to the rescue of the victims who were being held in their abductors’ den.
The gang had demanded a ransom of N20 million from their victims prior to the bust.
The rescued victims who sustained various degrees of injuries in the hands of their abductors are now receiving treatment in an unnamed hospital.
