Operation Puff Adder: Police nab 93 ‘kidnappers’, recover rocket launcher, others


As part of the ongoing Operation Puff Adder, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have arrested 93 suspected kidnappers along the Kaduna-Abuja Highway.
Parading the suspects at the Katari Police Division, Kaduna, on Wednesday, Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), DCP Frank Mba, said a rocket launcher; 35 AK 47 riffles; 12 locally made guns; 21dane guns: foreign revolvers and pistols; as well as 500 live ammunition.


He said also recovered from the suspects, who were arrested in different locations including Katari Forest; Niger state axis and as far as Katsina state, include two operational vehicles army camouflage, machete and daggers as well as $60,000 dollars.


Mba, who decried the sophistication of weapons used by the kidnappers, said it was an indication of their desperation, assured that the Force was determined to break them, bring them to book and bring the reign of terror to an end.


Speaking further, disclosed that the successes recorded was a result of collaborative efforts of the Special Tactical Team (STS); IGP Rapid Response Team (IRT); Police Mobile Force (PMF); Special Protection Unit (SPU); and other technical intelligence units in Zone 7 Command among others.


Fielding questions from journalists, the spokesperson assured that the Abuja-Kaduna highway was safe thousands and hundreds of people use the route on daily basis, noting that since the commencement of Operation Puff Adder the road has been without incident other than one incident.
While commending communities on the axis, he urged them to continue supporting the Police with intelligence information.
One of the suspects, who identified himself as shuabu Sabi, confessed to being a kidnapper and said his gang had kidnapped two people and collected N800,000 and N1 million ransom respectively and got N40,000 and N50,000 from the ransom.


Also, a spiritualists, Saliu Abubakar, who was arrested with the kidnapers, told journalists that he prays for the gang before operations and received money from them for his services.
Speaking to journalists, President Miyetti Allah, Alhaji Usemi Yusuf, said the situation was getting better with the efforts of the new IGP, Mohammed Adamu, noting that weeks now passes without bad news but it used to be on daily basis.

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