Police kill 2 suspected kidnappers, arrest 11 other criminals

The Police in Akwa- Ibom say they have killed two of a three-man suspected kidnap gang in a gun battle at Idu-Uruan, Uruan Local Government Area of the state.

The suspected kidnappers were said to have kidnapped an elderly woman, Mrs Grace Bassey (74) in her residence at Use in Adadia Village in the local government.

The State's Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Cordelia Nwawe, (ASP), who disclosed this at a news conference in Uyo on Sunday, said that the suspects suffocated their victim to death in an attempt to prevent the woman from screaming for help.

``The suspects having killed their victim, fled to 1000 Unit Estate in Idu Uruan, where the Anti-Robbery Squad on information, trailed them to the place where the suspected kidnappers exchanged gunfire with the police.

"During the exchange of gunfire, two of the kidnappers were brought down with one escaping with bullet wounds.

"The police recovered two locally-made pistols with five live cartridges, a Toyota Corolla car with no registration number.

“The victim's body had been deposited at the morgue while investigation is still ongoing," Nwawe said.

The PPRO said that items recovered from the suspects included two AK 47 rifles; two G3 rifles; three pump action rifles; two AK 47 magazines; eight locally-made pistols; and a large quantity of cartridges.

Confessing to the crime, one of the suspects said that he went into crime by stealing clothes because he did not have anyone to help him either further his education or learn a trade.

"I went into stealing clothes because I have no one to help me. It was my friend who put me into this trouble. He went and stole these clothes and brought them into my house.

“He asked me to join him so that we can share anything that came from the sale of the clothes,’’ the suspect said