Police: 10 kidnappers killed, nine arrested in Niger, Kaduna forests

The police command in the federal capital territory (FCT) says its operatives killed 10 suspected kidnappers during clearance operations of their hideouts in Niger and Kaduna states.

Olatunji Disu, the FCT police commissioner, said at a press conference in Abuja on Monday that operatives also arrested nine suspects during the operations.

Disu noted that the anti-kidnapping unit of the command carried out the operations in the Kweri and Gauraka forests in Kaduna and Niger states, respectively.

The police commissioner said six of the suspects arrested over culpable homicide were responsible for various armed robbery cases and kidnappings on Dei-dei, Bwari, and Dawaki communities in the FCT.

He added that the suspects were members of a kidnapping/banditry gang led by a kingpin who was neutralised during the operation.

“During the operations involving the assault of the strongholds of the kidnappers in Kweri and Gauraka forests, the gang leader and eight others were neutralised after an intense exchange of gunfire,” NAN quoted him as saying.

“At the same time, two operatives of the police command in the FCT sustained serious injuries and are both undergoing treatment in the hospital.”

Disu said intelligence revealed that the kidnapped victims were usually kept in various locations in Gidan Dogo forest in Kaduna, Gauraka forest in Niger, as well as Kweri and Kachia forests in Kaduna.

He said three AK-47 rifles, 100 rounds of live 7.62 ammunition, and 10 AK-47 magazines were recovered from the suspects while efforts were on to arrest the remaining members of the gang.

The commissioner said operatives of the command had also arrested three wanted suspects over kidnapping, banditry, and culpable homicide during another clearance operation.

He said the suspects were responsible for various armed robbery and kidnapping attacks on ECWA pastors’ quarters in Dnapoyi village in Bwari area council, Mpape village, and Daupe village in Abuja.

Disu said the suspects were members of a kidnapping and banditry gang based in the Kweri forest of Kaduna, adding their leader was killed during the operation.

He said two AK-47 rifles, 85 rounds of live 7.62 ammunition, three AK-47 magazines, and one locally made gun were recovered from the suspects.