After 10-year manhunt, DSS arrests ‘notorious gunrunner’

The Department of State Services (DSS) says it has arrested Jonah Abbey, a “notorious gunrunner”.

In a statement on Sunday, Tony Opuiyo, an official of the DSS, said Abbey was arrested in Taraba alongside Agyo Saviour, his driver.

Opuiyo said Abbey sold weapons to criminal groups in Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Rivers, Imo, Anambra, Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue and Taraba states.

The DSS official said the gunrunner had been on the wanted list of the secret police for about 10 years.

“It may be noted that subject has entrenched his criminal activities in different parts of the country and as earlier mentioned, has clients especially in Plateau, Ebonyi, Cross River, Enugu and Bayelsa states, among others,” the statement read.

“Indications are that he sources arms from the Republic of Cameroon and parts of the north-east of Nigeria.”

The secret police also said another operation led to the arrest of Lawal Ibrahim (a.k.a Alhaji AWALU), a high-profile kidnap kingpin, at Chiwarna Hotel, Angwan Rogo by Bauchi road, Jos North local government area of Plateau state.

The kidnap kingpin, DSS said, was arrested alongside his cohorts namely Ado Saleh and Bayero Adamu.

“The syndicate was responsible for the killing of a personnel of the Service in the State, Daanan BALGNAN, on 30th December 2017 and was involved in other high profile kidnap incidents in Plateau and neighbouring states of Nasarawa, Kaduna, and Bauchi,” the DSS said.

“Following the arrest, the sum of N1.5 million was recovered from the suspects. The money is part of the sum of  N2 million ransom, which the syndicate collected from Ayuba Gamale, a staff of Industrial Training Fund (ITF), whose two (2) abducted family members were released on 14th March 2018. Other members of the syndicate are still being trailed by the service.

“The arrest of these suspects is significant for two different, but related reasons. In the first case, the arrested kidnap kingpin, IBRAHIM, is adjudged the most dangerous in Plateau State, as he is known to be principally responsible for recent kidnap incidents in the state.”