Police operatives attached to Operation Puff Adder have arrested a nursing mother and 32 others involved in kidnapping, armed robbery, cattle rustling, car theft, and murder.
The nursing mother, Esther Senior, who was in possession of one AK47 rifle and 18 rounds of live ammunition, was arrested with the weapon concealed in a travelling bag while reportedly taking it her gang members for a high profile kidnapping in Ogun state.
Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), DCP Frank Mba, disclosed this while parading the suspects before journalists, Wednesday, at the Special Tactical Squad (STS) Headquarters in Abuja.
Mba, who said the arrests were made between June 5, and June 19, 2019; disclosed that the suspects also included four involved in the kidnap of UBEC Chairman, Dr. Mahmood Abubakar and his daughter.
The spokesperson said the suspects, who killed the UBEC boss driver during the operation, were arrested following massive manhunt launched to apprehend the fleeing members of the kidnap gang.
He said some members of the gang members had fled following the death of their gang leader and kidnap kingpin, Sumaila Sule aka Shaho, on May 18, as a result of bullet injuries sustained during a shoot-out with police operatives.
He said the operatives also recovered 11 AK47 rifles; two pump action guns; three locally made pistols; 12 dane guns; two revolver pistols; 10 live cartridges; 77 live ammunition; and two Volkswagen vehicles.
Similarly, the FPRO said 28 ‘notorious’ kidnappers and armed robbers, including one Abubakar Umar aka Buba Dogo, were arrested within the period following raids of criminal hideouts in Kainji, New Bussa, Mariga Bangi, and Charagi in Niger and Kwara states respectively and Birnin Yero Forest along Birnin Gwari, Garu Rahama, Gaidan Gaya in Kaduna state.
Mba said the operatives also intercepted trucks conveying 1972 bags of grains and 208 bags of beans to bandits’ hideout in the North-west thereby cutting-off food supply to their stronghold.
Fielding questions from journalists, Esther, who said she was promised N5000 by her husband who asked her to deliver the bag to someone in the state.
According to her, “On Wednesday, my husband, Bright Gbade, called me and asked me to go and deliver the bag to somebody in Ogun state.
“He did not even tell me the name of the person; he only told me that the person will call me. I did not know the content of the bag and they did not even allow me to carry the bag. They carried the bag themselves to the motor park. It was while we were on our way that the policemen searched the bag and found the gun in it.
“We have been married for two years and I did not know that my husband is a criminal. My husband said he is a fisherman when he was asking me out and before I accepted his proposal, he said he was one of the militants who surrendered their weapons during the amnesty programme.”
Similarly, Abubakar Umar aka Buba Dogo, who confessed to specialising in the kidnap of foreign nationals, claimed he made over N200 million from ransom in the last six months.
