The Gombe State Police Command, on Tuesday, 5 January, 2021 busted an eight-man gang of kidnappers, killing one in the process, and arresting three others.
The police also arrested four suspected rapists, who allegedly specialised in having unlawful carnal knowledge of girls.
The state Commissioner of Police, Maikudi Shehu, disclosed these to journalists at the command headquarters in Gombe.
According to Shehu, the encounter that led to their arrest occurred in Yelwa village, Akko Local Government of the state between his men and the suspected kidnappers from Adamawa State.
The CP said the kidnappers were sponsored by a masked man now in custody.
The kidnap victim, one Alhaji Babayo of Shekoji village in the Akko Local Government Area, stated that he was sleeping on the field with his cattle when his abductors struck.
He said, “I didn’t know when they came, because I was fast asleep on the field, but the noise of the cattle woke me and when I accosted them, they seized me and demanded N5 million for my release.
“We trekked for about four hours and when we got to Yelwa, they decided that we should sleep.
“It was while they were sleeping that I slipped away and informed the village head, who alerted the police.”
On discovering that the victim had escaped, the suspected kidnappers decided to keep resting in the area only to be confronted by the police.
Shehu added that his men were drafted to the area and “they didn’t waste time in launching an aggressive attack during which one of the suspects was killed, another one wounded and three arrested though three others escaped.”
The CP also paraded a 21-year-old suspected rapist, Abdulrasheed Abdullah, who on Christmas Day around 6pm allegedly lured and raped a 10-year-old girl.
Also paraded were three men who allegedly dragged a 14-year-old girl into the bush and defiled her.
Source: PUNCH.