Police ‘smash’ criminal gang that ‘kidnapped’ former minister

The police say they have arrested suspected kidnappers of Bagudu Hirse, a former minister of state for foreign affairs.

Bagudu was kidnapped on November 20, 2016, in front of the Kaduna residence of Mamman Daura, President Muhammadu Buhari’s nephew. But he regained freedom on six days letter after a ransom was paid to his captors.

Speaking with journalists on Monday, Don Awunah, force public relations officer, said the seven-man gang was arrested after surveillance was conducted by the IGP’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT).

“The gang was smashed with the arrest of Dominic Nwakpa aka Alhaji, who is the gang leader, in Lagos state, while other principal suspects and members of the gang, namely Balat Paul, driver of the gang; Ibrahim Samuel aka ‘IB’; and Jatau Peter, a dismissed policeman,, were arrested on the 1st January, 2017 in their hideouts at Dan Hassan Road Ungwa Boro Kaduna,” he said.

“Afini Paul, a female member who cooks for the gang and the victims, rented the house at Yusuf Patrick close, Mararaba Rido, Kaduna, where victims are kept before ransom money is collected. She was arrested at their hideout in Kaduna. Ifeanyi Chukwu, the 2nd in command of the gang, was arrested in a hotel in Agbor Hill area of Abia State.

“He confessed to be the second-in-command of the gang that kidnapped the Ambassador and so many other kidnapping within and outside Kaduna, Abia, Imo, Rivers, and Delta states.

“The suspects upon interrogation volunteered confessional statements, admitting that they are the criminal gang that kidnapped the former Minister of State for foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bagudu Hirse on 20th November, 2016 in GRA, Kaduna and collected ransom before he was released.

“The same gang confessed to the kidnap of Dr. Abdulmalik Durunguwa and his wife from their residence at different intervals in Kaduna.”

Awunah added that they would be arraigned in court at the end of investigations.

Items recovered from the gang are: two English-made pump action guns, 131 rounds of AK 47 ammunition, police camouflage uniform and two military face caps and two operational vehicles.

Other items are one hand set phone – used for negotiation and collection of ransom – a red face mask, anti-car tracking device and one black criminal charm jacket.