The four kidnap for ransom kingpins arrested by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police Force for criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and kidnappings have confessed to the killing of a retired Divisional Police Officer (DPO), CSP Garkuwa and a serving lawmaker, Hon Musa Mante of the Bauchi State House of Assembly.
While the suspects said that they killed the Police officer after his retirement for making life tough and miserable for them by constantly searching for them, they also said that they killed the lawmker and kidnapped his wives and children for failing to assist them with funds after making several requests for it.
The syndicate’s key suspect is Hamishu Galadima 48 alias Kan Wuka and Abdulwahab Alhassan alias Emeka and Abdulwahab Ahmed alias Dan mama and Hamidu Saleh.
They are kidnappers arrested by the IRT operatives after intelligence reports on the kidnappings, armed robbery and criminal conspiracy were lodged against them by the indegenes of Dass LGA of Bauchi State.
After a well coordinated operation by the DCP Tunji Disu-led intelligence Police team, the officers apprehended the suspects and they confessed their individual involvement and roles in all the kidnappings and armed robbery operations in Plateau, Bauchi and Kaduna villages and market roads on Mondays.
They also confessed to ‘ve also burgled the room of one Suleiman Shuaibu alias Shayi a native of Dass local council of Bauchi State at about 01.15 hours and took into captivity six members of the man’s family.
The key suspect, Hamishu said that his gang killed the divisional police officer because he was in the habit of always searching for them every time after any crime incident was reported.
On the killing of the lawmaker, he said that the criminal gang eliminated the man for refusing to assist them with funds after several requests were made of him from his gang members whereas he always assisted others.
He said: “We entered the house of the honourable member of House of Assembly, Hon.Musa Mante and killed him inside his room and took physical cash of two million naira (N2,000000).
“And we kidnapped his two wives and took them to Dutsin Miagoshi Igala and the victims spent almost four days in capitivity and we demanded for a ransomel of thirty-five million naira (N35,000000)”.
On how they killed the lawmaker, he said that he was the one guarding the deceased man’s gate while other gang members entered through the roof of the house and took away his money before killing him.
The other suspect, Abdulwahab alias Emeka who further confessed that they worked with the gang leader in the various kidnapping cases, added that he was previously dealing on hard drugs and had interracted and know all the criminals terrorising the villages in Bauchi.
He, however, said that he did not follow the crime suspects to the home of the lawmaker but he only provided them with the information that was needed for his capture.
He added that he was an ex-convict that was arrested for drug offences by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA and was imprisoned twice for two year jail terms
and served his terms and was released.
Upon further interrogations by the IRT media team, all the suspects admitted that that they had engaged the late lawmaker in an argument about his constituency projects that was said to be lopsided and when he could not provide a satisfactory answer they shot him.
They also said that they ganged up against the retired Police officer because he vowed to continue to pursue and deal with the criminals in the area for natives’
safety and security.
On the exhibits recovered by the Police team, they had confessed to have operated with one AK 47 assualt rifle and assorted range of ammunitions.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba has directed that all the weapons, arms and ammunitions in the hands of criminal elements such as kidnappers and bandits should be mopped up immediately for security of lives of citizens of the country.
The Police authorities through the Force Spokesman CSP Muyiwa Adejobi has assured that all the suspects are going to be prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the laws of the nation.