Operatives of the Benue State Police Command have arrested six suspects for kidnapping and fraud.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, confirmed the development in a statement made available to newsmen in Makurdi, the state capital on Wednesday, 19 June, 2024.
Anene, who also disclosed nine kidnap victims were rescued, added that three of the arrested suspects were kidnappers and the other three were fraudsters.
According to the state police image maker, the suspected kidnappers were responsible for the kidnap of some passengers of a Benue Links vehicle after killing the driver.
Part of the statement read, “On the 13/06/2024 at about 1700hrs information was received that, while a Benue links vehicle was conveying passengers from Onitsha to Makurdi, gunmen suddenly emerged from a nearby forest around Ojano-Oglewu and shot sporadically at the vehicle, causing the vehicle to stop at the forest.
“The driver of the said vehicle sustained gunshot injuries that led to his death while the passengers were kidnapped.
“During the investigation, nine suspects were rescued, while on 17/6/2024 three suspects, named Saleh Hassan ‘m’, Yakubu Alhaji Kande and Yunusa Idris all of Keana LGA, Nasarawa State were trailed and arrested in connection with the case.”
Anene added in the statement that the two suspected fraudsters were arrested at Kigh village along Naka road on Monday.
“During the operation, one Philip Matthew ‘m’ 25 yrs, Haribu Jafai ‘m’ 27yrs and John Ode Arubi ‘m’ 24yrs, were arrested,” the statement read.
She listed items recovered from the suspected fraudsters include two iPhones, five laptops, different ATM cards, and five 9mm live ammunition.
