File photo
According to a report by The Nation, the Kaduna State Police Command
has arrested a Village Head in Chikun Local Government Area of the State
for allegedly working for kidnappers.
The Village Head was among the 39 other suspects paraded by the Kaduna
State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Yakubu Sabo
Abubakar on Thursday.
Other suspects including a gang that killed two of their abductees after
collecting N2.8 million ransom and two suspects linked with the recent
kidnap of six female students and two teachers of Engravers College,
Kaduna.
Speaking on the suspects, the police spokesman said the Village Head of
Ungwan Luka, Samaila Luka works for kidnappers by giving them
information and collecting share after taking ransom to them.
He said the kidnappers whom the Village Head worked with killed a policeman after taking ransom.
Meanwhile, Luka while fielding questions from newsmen denied working for
kidnappers, though he confessed being paid twice out of the three times
he had taken ransom to the kidnappers.
According to him, “I have helped people to take ransom to the
kidnappers three times. The first time, the kidnappers rewarded me with
N100, 000, the second time, they gave me N50, 000, but the third time,
they didn’t give me anything.
“I know nothing about the policemen the kidnappers killed. God and the
police woman who was released are my witnesses. When I took the ransom
to them, that was the third time I took ransom to the kidnappers, but
after taking it, they refused to give me the policeman. Me and the other
police woman cried and begged them, but they refused, they said, the
policeman use to insult them. That day, they even collected my phone and
they didn’t give me money that day.” He said.
Though, he confessed that, he never reported to police that kidnappers
gave him share of the ransom, Luka said, he never knew the kidnappers
before.
However, DSP Sabo said, Kaduna has some peculiar security challenges
amongst which are; armed banditry, Cattle rustling, Kidnapping, Armed
Robbery and other violent crimes against law abiding citizens of the
state.
“However, we have succeeded in reducing these crimes within our towns,
villages and to a large extent on our major highways. Recently, the
Command has been relatively calm, as the bandits can no longer carry out
any coordinated attack largely due to our strategic deployment as well
as the public support we receive which force the criminals to resort to
soft targets at outskirts and hamlets where there are no firm security
structures.
“The Command has intensified efforts towards ensuring safety and
security of the populace through some coordinated raiding of criminal
hideouts by our gallant Operatives and the IGP’s Special Tactical Squad
(STS) and IRT as well as active Community Engagement Initiative in line
with the Inspector General of Police mandate on Community Policing.
“These efforts have gained some remarkable results which led to the
arrest of thirty five (39) suspected criminals comprising of largely
suspected Kidnappers, Armed Bandits, Armed Robbers, Culpable Homicide
suspects, Cattle Rustlers and Internet Fraudsters among others.
“Some of these suspects confessed to series of kidnapping within and
outside the State including the killing of Police Personnel and two
other victims at Kangimi after collecting million naira as ransom.
“We also recovered ten (10) AK47 Rifles, four (4) Pump Action, two (2)
Locally Made Pistols, one (1) Locally Made Gun, 154 live Ammunition,
seventeen (17) Cartridges, four (4) vehicles, four (4) Motorcycles and
host of other recoveries.
“In view of the successes recorded and the drastic reduction in crime
rate in the Command within the period under review, we cannot afford to
relent in our effort to sustain the gains. I therefore, reiterate my
call to the general public to continue to be supportive of the Police in
various ways they can, to ensure peace and stability of businesses and
the social environment in the State,” he said.