TheCable

The Adamawa state police command has arrested 23 suspects for alleged kidnapping in the state.

Olugbenga Adeyanju, the state’s commissioner of police, paraded the suspects at the police command headquarters in Yola, the state capital, on Thursday.

He said the suspects committed offences in three groups across three local government areas.

The commissioner said the first group comprises nine suspects charged with “criminal conspiracy and kidnapping” for allegedly kidnapping two people and obtaining a sum of N4.5 million from them.

He said two AK47 rifles, one assault rifle, two single barrel guns, 468 rounds of ammunition and 25 cartridges were recovered from the suspects.

“Immediately the case was reported, operatives of anti-kidnapping unit of the command, in collaboration with the local chiefs, went after the culprits and apprehended them,” he said.

Adeyanju said another group of six suspects was arrested on May 3.

He said the suspects aged between 20 and 44 are notorious for kidnapping in Ganye local government of the state.

The commissioner said third group comprises eight suspects who, according to him, are residents of Hong LGA.

He said the suspects had threatened to kidnap three people — Nuhu Belham, Esma Arestus and Mohammed Samaila — if they did not pay N3 million each.

He said all the suspects will be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

“Investigation led to the arrest of the eight suspects and they confessed committing the crime,” he said.

“In my time, there will be no case of suspects being released without due process.”