TheCable

The Kaduna state police command has declared a state of emergency to stem rising cases of kidnapping in the state.

Zubairu Abubakar, the command’s spokesman,  disclosed this in an interview with NAN, saying that a special team of anti kidnap squad has been formed to track and dislodge criminal gangs.

He said the declaration of the state of emergency was on the orders of Solomon Arase, inspector general of police.

In the last three months, several people have been abducted across the 23 local government areas of the state.

Samaila Inusa,  a colonel in the Nigerian army, was abducted while driving with his wife, and his corpse was found two days later.

Similarly, Iliya Anthony, vice-president of the United Church of Christ in Nigeria, died in the hands of his abductors.

He was kidnapped along with the two other clerics who later regained freedom.

Mansur Ahmed, a former executive director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), was also abducted recently.

The police spokesman acknowledged the cases and said several arrests had been made, while prosecution of some suspected kidnappers had commenced.

He said 13 suspects had been charged to court, while 15 others were under investigation.

Abubakar said the deployment of the new squad was to heighten the search for the criminal gangs and make the state safe from their nefarious activities.