The Kano State Police Command has arrested 36 suspected kidnappers who have been terrorizing inhabitants of the ancient city of Kano through kidnapping and taking hostages for ransom.
Three of the suspected kidnappers were among those earlier granted amnesty by Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje but suddenly found themselves in a police net, this time for kidnapping rather than cattle rustling and armed robbery.
Parading the suspects at the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Command, the State Police Commissioner, Maigari Dikko, said that 21 of the victims were rescued. A total of 35 kidnapping cases were reported to the Command.
Mr. Dikko said the feat was recorded within one and a half after resuming office, adding that in his efforts to track down kidnappers, he embarked on an assessment tour of areas mostly affected, like Sumaila, Kibiya and Rano Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the State.
The Commissioner explained that in the course of the operations, one suspect and a victim lost their lives after more than three hours gun shooting with police officers Anti Kidnapping Unit.
Mr. Dikko also disclosed that a three-man gang of kidnappers were arrested in Katsina State by the Kano State anti-kidnappers unit, who took a seven-year-old girl hostage, demanding N120,000 ransom from the girl’s parents, prior to her rescue, which after investigations revealed that the kidnapper is the immediate brother to the girl, all and they are the childrens of the same mother and same father.
The Commissioner said that one Idris Bello, 28, of Kauru LGA, Kaduna State was arrested for conspiring with nine others now at large to kidnap the step-mother to a member of the Kano State House of Assembly, representing Doguwa LGA.
Another syndicate of kidnappers, who were arrested at Gomo Village in Sumaila LGA, conspired with 11 others now at large, kidnapped an old-age father of a member representing Sumaila in the Kano State House of Assembly and snatched N110,000 from him but was eventually rescued.
Mr. Dikko said during the period under review, another gang of 50 armed bandits stormed the house of former House member Garba Shehu, who represented Kibiya LGA, shot dead one Kabiru Baba Wuro, and kidnapped three persons. The police were able to rescue the victims.
Kano State police seized several weapons and ammunitions during the arrest, including, six AK-47 assault rifles, six locally fabricated rifles, three locally fabricated pistols, 63 live ammunitions, 97 live cartridges, 215 empty shells of live ammunitions, 13 GSM handsets, as well as N138,000 cash.
Furthermore, the police boss appealed to the Kano Emirate Council to sensitize the general public on the need to give the police the necessary cooperation, synergy, timely and accurate information to bring criminal activities in the State to the barest minimum.