Police kill suspected kidnapper, recover arms

The Zamfara State Police Command said on Sunday it had killed a notorious kidnapper, arrested eight others and recovered arms.

Its commissioner, Mr Kenneth Embrimson, who displayed the corpse of the said kidnapper, told newsmen in Gusau that he was killed in a gun battle with security operatives.

According to him, the command had received a report that a gang of notorious bandits and kidnappers had stormed Ruwan-Gizo and Yartasha villages in Talata-Mafara Local Government Area, to kidnap one Bilyaminu Abdullahi.

“The Police quickly responded and laid ambush; after an intense gun battle that lasted for more than two hours, the victim, Bilyaminu Abdullahi, was rescued.

“One of the bandits was shot and killed, while another escaped with gunshot wounds.

“Two AK 47 rifles, 75 round of 7.62 MM and two motorcycles were recovered from the kidnappers,’’ he said.

Embrimson further said that a Police patrol team, on Feb. 24, arrested two persons – a suspected armed bandit and kidnapper – at Daraga and Dankurmi areas in Maru Local Government.

“A locally made gun and one round of 7.62 MM of AK 47 rifle were recovered from the suspects,’’ he said.

He said that the Police had earlier arrested five suspected kidnappers at Magarya village in Zurmi Local Government on Feb. 23, while another suspected kidnapper and an armed robber were arrested on Feb. 19.

The duo, he said, were arrested in Kabala and Yangaladima villages in Maradun Vand Maru Local Government.

He said that the command also arrested a suspected gun runner believed to be in charge of collecting ransoms for kidnappers.

“We recovered N2.6 million and 21 pieces of Nigerien currencies from the suspected gun runner,” he said.

Embrimson urged members of the public to cooperate with the security agents to help their quest to rid the society of miscreants.