The Nasarawa State Police Command has arrested a suspected kidnapper and recovered N6.9 million in cash, along with sophisticated firearms and live ammunition, following a lone car crash in Garaku, Kokona Local Government Area.
Ramhan Nansel, the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Lafia.
According to Nansel, the incident occurred at about 9:00 a.m. on Monday, when operatives of the Garaku Police Division received a distress call from the Angwan Mayo community about a lone crash.
The accident involved an Opel Vectra vehicle with registration number Plateau BLD 566 ST, near the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) checkpoint.
Nansel explained that two occupants of the vehicle fled the scene immediately after the accident, but a vigilant VIO officer recovered a G3 rifle and some cash from the car before handing them over to the police.
He said the vehicle was later towed to the police station, where a thorough search uncovered one AK-47 rifle, one Type 06 rifle, one G3 rifle, three magazines, 57 rounds of live ammunition, and N6.9 million in cash.
“Following the discovery, the police, in collaboration with the military, launched a manhunt for the fleeing suspects, leading to the arrest of one Mohammed Tahir of Barkin Ladi, Plateau State,” Nansel stated.
“During interrogation, the suspect confessed to being a member of a seven-man kidnap gang responsible for the abduction of a lawyer in Nyanya, Abuja, where ransom was collected. He further revealed that he and another accomplice were en route to Jos to share the proceeds of the crime before the accident occurred,” he added.
The PPRO noted that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining suspects, while the arrested suspect and recovered exhibits have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Lafia, on the directive of Commissioner of Police (CP) Shettima Jauro-Mohammed.
On behalf of the Commissioner, Nansel reassured the public of the Command’s unwavering commitment to working with sister security agencies to rid the state and its environs of crime and criminality.
He commended members of the public for their vigilance and urged that their collaboration and support be sustained.
