By Sani Yarima
The Taraba State Police Command recently reported the successful apprehension of a syndicate of suspected kidnappers across various local government areas of the state.
The State Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph Eribo, disclosed the arrest of the suspects, who had been terrorizing Jalingo, Yorro, and Lau among others, during a press briefing held at the Command’s headquarters in Jalingo.
The syndicate paraded before the press, Eribo said was responsible for several kidnappings, including those of the First Class of Pupule, a Pastor, an Imam, and others.
He stated that the suspects were arrested on January 2nd at approximately 4:50 am within the state capital, acting on a tipoff.
CP Joseph Eribo acknowledged the Anti-Kidnapping team of the Command for the successful operation.
He explained that the team had arrested Habibu Ibrahim aka Rilwanu, Abba Mohammed aka Gandari, Aliyasssa’u Umar, Abdulaziz Adamu aka Dan-Mallam, and Danlami Ibrahim aka Teacher, all in the same area.
The suspects have reportedly confessed to their involvement in several kidnapping incidents in the Jauro Ganah and New CBN areas, and police have recovered three AK47 rifles with five rounds of live ammunition each from them.
On January 10th, 2024, Alhaji Kabiru Zakari Lau, Chairman of the Lau community in charge of YEDC Lau, informed the Police Divisional Headquarters of the LG that the YEDC Company’s Transfer situated at Orangutan Korofi was vandalized, and its armored was stolen worth N1, 600,000.
The police investigation revealed that Sadiq Balaam of Bali and Adamu Mohammed of Lau had criminally conspired, vandalized the transformer, stole an armored cable, and sold it to Auwalu Hashimu of Kano State through his worker, Yahaya Mohammed and Husseini Mohammed of Bali, for one hundred and thirty thousand naira.
Eribo further revealed that two persons connected to the case, Auwalu Hashimu and Adamu Mohammed, are at large, and efforts have been intensified to arrest the fleeing suspects.
According to the CP, the security concern in the State has assumed alarming dimensions, including Kidnapping, Banditry, Armed robbery, Cattle rustling, and Culpable Homicide.
He stated that the Command has deployed all its operational assets, both human and material resources, to deal with the emerging trends of crime and criminality in the State, resulting in tremendous achievements within the months under review.
CP Joseph Eribo reiterated that the Command has been persistent in its efforts to sustain a serious manhunt on the bandits and other perpetrators of various crimes within the state.
This is in line with the directives of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetukon NPM Ph., for a community-based and intelligence-led policing approach, which is yielding fruitful results in addressing contemporary security challenges that have been bedeviling the state.
Furthermore, the resilience and determination of the police personnel in collaboration with other security agencies, vigilantes, and hunters, have yielded positive results with the arrest of suspected armed robbers and the recovery of a vehicle stolen by 20-year-old Yawnkuwafie John when operatives attached to GRA Division raided a criminal hideout at ATC Kofai ward Jalingo.
Meanwhile, CP Joseph Eribo revealed that the suspects are providing useful information that could lead to the arrest of the fleeing members of the gang.
Finally, Eribo pointed out that the Command’s efforts are aimed at creating a crime-free society.
