The Police on Monday said it had recovered N10.1 million from a kidnap gang in Sokoto state.
The Force Public Relations Officer, FPRO, DCP Frank Mba, who disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja also said 81 persons had been arrested for murder, kidnapping, unlawful possession of weapons and internet fraud across the country.
He further said 8 AK 47 riffle, 344 rounds of AK 47 riffles and 15 other types of weapons of assorted make, largely locally fabricated were recovered.
Mba disclosed that the money was part of the ransom paid by one of the kidnappers victims, Tuku Zubairu, a wealthy business man in Sokoto State.
According to him the gang was formed in Katsina Prison, were the gang members had been inmates.
“Somehow, they were able to get themselves together while in the prison, formed a deadly gang and while in the prison they hatched the plot to kidnap one Alhaji Tuku Zubairu.
“As soon as they were out from the prison, they embarked on that mission, kidnapped the business man and collected ransom running into several millions from him.
“We went after them and as I speak to you today, all the gang members have been arrested and a total sum of N10.1 million, part of the ransom they collected has been recovered,” he said.
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The Force PRO disclosed further that the police had busted another deadly kidnap gang led by one Shaibu Dan Kaduna, responsible for most crimes along Kaduna axis and some parts of the North Central zone of the country.
He said the gang led by Dan Kaduna had on Aug. 11 ambushed a team of police operatives on a mission and killed four of the operatives.
Mba added: “Ever since then, we have not relented on our efforts and as I speak to you, majority of members of that gang have been arrested.
“The riffles of the operatives that were snatched after killing them have all been recovered.
“The leader of that gang, Shaibu Dan Kaduna has been killed, he died during an exchange of bullet with police operatives on Oct. 3,” he said.
Speaking further, Mba revealed that members of another kidnap gang responsible for the killing of Insp. Patrick Yohanna on Aug. 26 along Abuja-Kaduna road had also been arrested with another group of 21 also arrested in Taraba.
He also said that 10 internet fraudsters were arrested in Abuja by police operatives.
“A look at them showed clearly that they are all young persons and out of the 10, one is a Ghanaian who told us that he is a secondary school student in Accra Academy.
“Some of the suspects are graduates and as a matter of fact, one of them who we recognise as the leader of the group is a graduate of Microbiology and a holder of Masters in Business Administration,” he added.
The Force spokesman said 10 laptops recovered from the suspects would subjected to proper forensic examination before charging the suspects to court.
