The Nigeria Police on Monday, March 24, said it has arrested a total of 13 kidnappers at the Oshara Ganden, a boundary area between Kogi and Edo States.
The kidnappers, the police said were arrested during an operation carried out by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at about 6.30 pm on March 11, 2025.
According to Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force Public Relations Officer, the IRT team was on an assignment when they encountered an ambush set by the kidnappers in the area.
He said eight members of the gang were immediately arrested as the team successfully overpowered the armed criminals.
“The suspects, identified as Tukur Salisu, Sani Abubakar, Mamud Sani, Umar Abdullahi, Salisu Mohammed, Salisu Usman, Bashir Audu, and Jibril Haruna, were found in possession of significant weaponry, including one AK-47 rifle with 29 rounds of live ammunition, one new Israeli pump action rifle with 4 cartridges, two pump action rifles with 72 cartridges, a single barrel shotgun with 2 cartridges, and two operational motorcycles,” Adejobi noted.
He further stated that in another operation, the IRT operatives arrested 30-year-old Yakubu Musa and Usman Musa, 25, both from Kaduna State.
He said recoveries of three AK-47 rifles and 19 rounds of live ammunition were made from suspects, linked to several kidnapping and cattle rustling activities in the state.
In another operation which took place on January 21, three suspects were arrested for criminal conspiracy, unlawful possession of firearms, and kidnapping.
The three suspects also confessed to engaging in kidnappings around Rijana, Lambata, Dandume, and Ugama in Kaduna and Niger States.
“Recovered from them were one AK-49 rifle, two AK-47 rifles, and 28 rounds of live ammunition. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend additional members of their gang,” Adejobi said.
