One of the kidnappers of the students of Greenfield School, in Kaduna State, has narrated how he and his gang members chained, raped and killed the students after kidnapping them from their school.
The suspect Aminu Lawal, his gang led by one Yellow Asar, had been terrorizing motorists and other road users along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, before their arrest.
They were arrested by operatives of the Force Intelligence Bureau Special Tactical Squad (FIB-STS)led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Yusuf Kolo.
Parading the suspects alongside twenty others in Abuja, Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said they were arrested for offences ranging from kidnapping, conspiracy, armed robbery, illegal possession of arms and ammunition to cattle rustling, among other violent crimes.
Items recovered from them include 40 AK-47 ASSAULT RIFLES, 8 TYPE 06 AK RIFLES, 4 LIGHT ASSAULT RIFLES(LAR), 1 G3 RIFLE, 1 AK 49 ASSAULT RIFLE, 4 PUMP ACTION SHOTGUNS, 1 DANE GUN, CASH SUM OF N2 MILLION, 310 AK47 AMMUNITION (7.62 x 39mm), 66 ASSORTED AMMUNITION (8.5mm), 2 CHAINS.
The suspect who said they have been in the business of kidnapping for some time now demonstrated to journalists how they invaded the school abducted the students, chained together and took them to their operational base for profiling.
Adejobi said that the arrest of the suspects followed the directives from the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, to clampdown on the perpetrators of crimes and criminality, as well as cutting off their supply of arms which had led the arrest of 21 suspects connected with major violent crimes including Kidnapping, Culpable Homicide, Rape, Unlawful Possession of Firearms etc.
According to him, prominent among the cases include a case of kidnapping where the duo of Aminu Lawal (aka Kano), and Murtala Dawu (aka Mugala), both working in synergy with the kidnap kingpin known as Yellow Ashana, confessed to the kidnap and murder of two police officers and one vigilante in 2021.
He said: “They equally confessed to the kidnap of students from the Greenfield University in Kaduna State, and the mindless murder of five victims before the payment of ransom, and eventual release of the others.
“Intelligence shows that their area of operations includes Dan Hunu, Kekebi, Dan Busha Rido, Maraban Rido, and Kumi Sata, all in Kaduna State. FIB-STS operatives caught up with them in March 2022, after being on their trail upon the mention of their names in connection to the kidnapping of Bethel Baptist School students in 2021.
Similarly, a five-man trans-border syndicate that carried out kidnapping operations between Adamawa State in Nigeria, and Burha, Fituha, and Kesu in Cameroun were arrested.
The gang which comprises Abubakar Mohammed aged 28 years old, Shehu Mohammed aged 38 years old, Abdullahi Ali aged 30 years old, Abubakar Ali, aged 18 years old, and Hussaini Sule aged 18 years old, all males from Mubi, Adamawa State, targets wealthy individuals who possess beautiful houses or cars.
According to him, “they confessed to the kidnap and multiple rapes of a newly wedded woman at Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno state whom they released upon receipt of a million Naira ransom.
“They were apprehended by operatives of the FIB-STS after collecting a ransom sum of 2 million Naira for one Alhaji Moni of Buladega Village on the 11th of May, 2022.
He further added that the Operatives of the FIB-STS equally apprehended the duo of Umar Muhammed aged 40 years old from Mitchika in Adamawa State, and Musa Buba aged 29 years old from Hong in Adamawa State, who were famous for their kidnapping activities.
According to him, “they were arrested at the market, upon credible intelligence that they would be there to buy food items for their kidnap victims.
“They confessed to many heinous crimes including the killing and beheading of one Alhaji Mai Gome, even after ransom payment had been made.
The suspects who confessed their involvements in the various Cases brought against them by the Police pleaded for forgiveness with a promise to turn a new leaf.
He said all of them would be arraigned in court as soon as investigations are concluded.
