Man connives with native doctor to kidnap relative for money, Police arrest them

The Police Command in Benue has arrested a native doctor, Terna Sule, and Teryima Yaji, over the kidnapping of one Emmanuel Yaji.

The command made the disclosure in a statement on Thursday in Makurdi by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Sewuese Anene.

According to the statement, Mr Emmanuel Yaji of Mbaduku, Vandiekya Local Government, was kidnapped on December 30, 2024, but was later rescued by the police.

ALSO READ: Anambra demolishes hotel used for kidnapping activities; shrine, graves uncovered

The statement said that during his rescue in December, the command arrested some suspects and recovered firearms.

The statement further said that the State Commissioner of Police, CP. Steve Yabanet, ordered a more detailed investigation into the case, leading to the arrest of more gang members. It said;

The arrested gang members include Teryima Yaji, a relative of the victim and the mastermind of the kidnap, who confessed to planning the kidnap to make more money from his relative.

Terna Sule, a native doctor who prepared the gang for the operation and led them in the operation, was also arrested.

Suspects will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is completed,

EXPLORE: Again, Police smash kidnapping, armed robbery gang in Imo, free 4 hostages

Similarly, the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the Nigeria Police Force recovered 115 stolen vehicles and rescued 387 kidnap victims nationwide in one month.

Adejobi said at a news conference on Monday in Abuja that the successes were recorded during several operations nationwide in January. The police spokesman said 960 suspects were arrested by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in the month under review.

He said 244 of the suspects were arrested over armed robbery, 170, for kidnapping, 240 for murder/homicide, 53, for unlawful possession of prohibited firearms, 130, rape and 123, for cultism.

Adejobi said 172 firearms and 3,134 pieces of ammunition of various calibres, including 12 rounds of 7.88 mm ammunition, two AK-47 rifles, eight fabricated AK-47 rifles and four fabricated revolver guns were recovered from the suspects.

The police spokesman said other items recovered were five fabricated semi-automatic pistols, 11 AK-47 magazines and 1,121 AK-47 live ammunition. He said eight of the suspects were arrested by operatives of the IRT in Plateau over gun running and unlawful possession of Prohibited Firearms.

Adejobi said the suspects were arrested following credible intelligence on activities of a gun-running syndicate in Plateau. He said the only female suspect in the syndicate had confessed during a police investigation that she sold 900 rounds of AK-47 live ammunition to one of the male suspects.

According to him, one locally made pistol, two rounds of 7.88 mm live ammunition, eight fabricated AK-47 rifles, four fabricated revolver guns and three fabricated semi-automatic pistols were recovered from the syndicate.

He said two AK-47 magazines and 1,105 AK-47 live ammunition were also recovered from the suspects. Adejobi said building on the momentum of the operation, operatives of the IRT on Jan. 28 arrested two additional members of the syndicate.

He said the operatives recovered eight fabricated AK-47 rifles, four fabricated revolver rifles, three fabricated semi-automatic pistols and two fabricated AK-47 magazines concealed in the doormat of a red Volkswagen station wagon. He said;

The suspects confessed to having taken delivery of the recovered firearms from a notorious firearms fabricator, currently at large,

Adejobi said efforts were being intensified to apprehend the fleeing firearms fabricator and others fabricating guns and supplying them to the wrong hands in the country.

RECOMMENDED: Police recover 115 stolen vehicles, rescue 387 kidnap victims Nationwide