NSCDC Special Intelligence Squad arrests five-member kidnap syndicate along Zaria–Kano road
The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has ordered the arrest and thorough investigation into an alleged case of kidnapping, extortion, theft, and criminal conspiracy by a five-man gang operating along the Zaria axis in Kaduna and Kano States.
CSC Afolabi Babawale, National Public Relations Officer, NSCDC National Headquarters, Abuja, in a statement, said the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad, led by Commandant A. S. Dandaura (JP), narrated the encounter with the notorious gang nabbed for acts of brigandage. The suspects allegedly attacked one Sani Ahmad, who was driving along the Zaria–Kano route, and flagged him down under the pretext that there was danger ahead.
The victim, Sani Ahmad, was compelled to stop his vehicle, unaware that he had fallen into the hands of kidnappers who forcefully dispossessed him of his valuables.
Ahmad, in his statement, revealed that he is a journalist. On the said day, he was travelling with his friend, Mallam Haruna, his wife, and child. The unfortunate incident occurred after he dropped his friend and family in Zaria and continued his journey to Kano.
“After insisting that I stop the car, they invaded my vehicle and took my travelling bag, two iPhone 12 Pro Max phones, a Tecno Camon 40 Pro, and compelled me to transfer ₦300,000 through my Opay account to an Opay account number 9026238691, with the name Abdullahi Lawan Garba, which was provided by one Ibrahim Abubakar after firing a gun to threaten my life,” he said.
The names of the suspected kidnappers are: Ibrahim Abubakar Garba, Umar Fulani, Aliyu Mohammed, Murtala Salisu, and Imrana Hassan, all male and they have volunteered statements admitting their individual involvement in the heinous crime.
Items recovered as exhibits from the suspects include six mini smartphones, one iPhone 12 Pro Max, one Tecno Camon 40 Pro (similar to the one stolen from the victim at gunpoint and already sold to Imrana Hassan), ATM cards of First Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, and Opay, one Samsung Galaxy A15, one Infinix X6531B, one Itel keypad phone, wristwatches, earpods, bangles, rings, and many other personal belongings.
Commandant Dandaura affirmed that a thorough investigation is ongoing and that all suspects would appear before a court of competent jurisdiction.
He warned travellers to be wary of late-night movements, noting that criminal-minded individuals are on the rampage to extort innocent citizens, especially as the Yuletide season approaches.
