TheCable

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) says it has arrested two suspects — identified as Aminu Lawal and Murtala Dawu — over their alleged involvement in the abduction of students of Greenfield University, Kaduna.

On April 20, 2021, armed bandits attacked the institution and abducted 20 students and three staff members of the university.

Five of the students and a male warden were killed in captivity.

On May 29, 2021, the management of the institution said the bandits released the final batch of the remaining students and non-academic staff abducted, after ransom was paid.

Parading the suspects on Wednesday, Muyiwa Adejobi, force spokesperson, said the duo of Lawal and Dawu confessed to the murder of five students of Greenfield varsity.

“Prominent among the cases include a case of kidnapping where the duo of Aminu Lawal (aka Kano), and Murtala Dawu (aka Mugala), both working in synergy with the kidnap kingpin known as Yellow Ashana, confessed to the kidnap and murder of two police officers and one vigilante in 2021,” Adejobi said.

“They equally confessed to the kidnap of students from the Greenfield University in Kaduna State, and the mindless murder of five victims before the payment of ransom, and eventual release of the others.

“Intelligence shows that their area of operations include Dan Hunu, Kekebi, Dan Busha Rido, Maraban Rido, and Kumi Sata, all in Kaduna State.

“FIB-STS operatives caught up with them in March 2022, after being on their trail upon the mention of their names in connection to the kidnapping of Bethel Baptist School students in 2021.”

In another development, the police said its operatives arrested a five-man trans-border syndicate who carried out kidnapping operations within the Adamawa axis and Cameroon.

“The gang, which comprises Abubakar Mohammed aged 28 years old, Shehu Mohammed aged 38 years old, Abdullahi Ali aged 30 years old, Abubakar Ali aged 18 years old, and Hussaini Sule aged 18 years old, all males from Mubi, Adamawa State, targets wealthy individuals who possess beautiful houses or cars,” Adejobi said.

“They confessed to the kidnap and multiple rape of a newly-wedded woman at Askira Uba local government area of Borno state whom they released upon receipt of a million naira ransom.

“They were apprehended by operatives of the FIB-STS after collecting a ransom sum of 2 million Naira for one Alhaji Moni of Buladega village on the 11th of May, 2022.”