Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested two members of a trans-national kidnap syndicate involved in the kidnap of an American Citizen, Philippe Nathan Walton, on 28 October, 2020 at his farm in Masalata Village, Republic of Niger, reports The Gazelle News.com.
According to a statement by the Force Police Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, the duo were arrested while the gang members were plotting more abductions to avenge the death of their colleagues who were killed during the operation to rescue the American.
The Gazelle News.com learnt that four Nigeriens and two Nigerians were killed during the operation.
The suspects: Aliyu Abdullahi, male, 21yrs a.k.a Mallam; and Aliyu Umaru, 23yrs a.k.a Kwatte Kusu, both from Sokoto State, were arrested on Wednesday, 25 November, 2020.
The two suspects – members of a 15-man kidnap gang of Nigerian/Nigerien extraction, led by Barte Dan Alhaji and Dan Buda – were arrested following a special intelligence-led operation aimed at arresting the criminal gang, disrupting and halting other criminal activities by them.
Investigations by the Intelligence Response Team reveal that the gang was plotting other abductions to avenge the death of their cohorts – four Nigeriens and two Nigerians who died during the rescue operations. The Force is collaborating with its Nigerien counterpart in the investigations to apprehend other members of the transnational syndicate currently at large.
Meanwhile, as part of efforts at tackling transnational crimes, the Inspector General of Police, Muhammad .A Adamu, is working in concert with other members of the West African Police Chiefs Organization (WAPCO) to deepen intelligence sharing amongst security agencies in the ECOWAS sub-region and strengthen security along the international borders of member States. The suspects will be arraigned in court on completion of investigations.