Operatives of the Inspector General of Police (IG) Intelligence Response Team (IRT) have arrested 13 suspected kidnappers including those allegedly responsible for the abduction of Governor Aminu Bello-Masari’s mother-in-law Hajiya Hauwa Yusuf, 65.
Hajiya Yusuf was kidnapped at her residence on March 8 at her Dandume Crescent residence in Katsina and released on March 15 after collecting an undisclosed amount as ransom.
Although the police had stated they were on the trial of the culprits when the woman was released, their efforts yielded recently with the arrest of alleged gang leader and other members traced to Plateau, Kano, Katsina States and Abuja.
We gathered on Monday that those arrested included those allegedly supplying arms, ammunition and hard drugs to the gang.
Their identities were given as Abdullahi Sani, 23, Abubakar Dani, 21, Marwana Gide, 25, Rabe Hamza, 35, Abdulkarim Aliyu, 20, Musa Yakubu, 21, Abubakar Abdullahi, 25, Taiwo Abayomi, 28, Ali Samaila, 45, Abubakar Sulaiman, 30 and Ibrahim Bille, 30.
The police said Napkon Sambo, 31, was alleged to be the chief arms supplier, while Haruna Adamu, 31, was said to responsible for transporting the weapons and drugs to the gang.
It was gathered that one of the suspects led detectives to a grocery shop he opened with his share of the ransom collected for Hajiya Yusuf.
Police sources said they have identified and seized lands and houses some of the suspects acquired with proceeds of kidnapping.
They said an AK47 rifle, 22 magazines, 1,000 AK47 live ammunition, 200 cartridges, two motorcycles, mobile phones belonging to some of the victims as well as the phone the kidnappers used to negotiate ransom were recovered.
Our correspondent gathered that the suspects were paraded on Monday by the Katsina State Police Commissioner Sanusi Buba.
