The Kaduna State Police Command has foiled a kidnapping attempt, arrested three suspected arms dealers and recovered three locally made firearms and 300 rounds of live ammunition in separate operations across the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, saying operatives responded to a distress call on Sept. 20 over an attack by armed bandits on a resident in Gimi Ward, Makarfi Local Government Area. Police officers from Makarfi Division, supported by local vigilantes, engaged the attackers in a gun battle, forcing them to flee into the bush.
Hassan said one of the suspects, 20-year-old Usman Alhaji Dahiru, was wounded and arrested during the operation. Police recovered a locally made rifle with three live cartridges, a locally made pistol with one live round and a bag containing charms from him, while efforts were ongoing to apprehend other fleeing suspects.
The PPRO also said operatives of Gwantu Division arrested Jude Magaji on Sept. 21 after intelligence indicated that he was allegedly moving around Ungwan Asibiti with a locally fabricated pistol and intimidating residents.
In another operation on Sept. 22, detectives attached to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit arrested two suspected members of an arms-trafficking syndicate operating around Giwa Local Government Area and the railway station axis of Kaduna.
According to Hassan, a search during the operation led to the recovery of 270 rounds of AK-47 ammunition and 30 rounds of Type 06 ammunition. The suspects remained in police custody as investigations continued to establish the source and intended destination of the ammunition and identify other persons linked to the syndicate.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Muhammad Rabiu, commended the operatives and vigilantes for their response and urged residents to continue providing credible information to the police.
