The Plateau State Police Command on Wednesday paraded 39 suspects for crimes ranging from armed robbery, unlawful possession of firearms, kidnapping, culpable homicide, among others.
Commissioner of Police in the State, Edward Egbuka, said the arrest of the suspects is the results of the Commands’ vigorous fight against crime.
Reeling out some of the successes the Command recorded in the State from the last quarter of 2020 till date, the Commissioner said, “On 10th of October, 2020 at about 01:30 hours, acting on a tip-off, police detectives attached to ‘A’ Division Jos, burst a criminal hideout and arrested six suspected armed robbers.
He listed the names of the suspects as Bitrus Dung, Moses Meshak, Joachin Dung, Ikechukwu Lucky, Precious Onyekuleje and Hemen Davou, all males.
“On interrogation, suspects confessed to have carried out several robbery operations within Jos metropolis and environs”, he explained.
According to him, “Their modus operandi include; trailing of unsuspecting victims to their houses, particularly in isolated areas, and robbing them of their belongings.
“Exhibits recovered from the suspects include; one locally fabricated gun, two pairs of Nigerian Army Uniform, and a Toyota Highlander vehicle with Reg. No. MUG 275 FM, one Mini ACCER Laptop, one Tecno Tablet, one Samsung Tablet, two handbags, one trolling bag and one FREE TV decoder”, he maintained.
Speaking on the case of criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of firearms, the CP said, “On 31st January 2021, Police Safer Highway patrol team attached to Angwan Rogo Division Jos, while on stop and search at Naraguta area by the University of Jos gate, suspected and arrested thirteen persons, operating in three tricycles with registration numbers: JJN 859 WQ, BUU 156 VC and JJN 286 WQ.
He said when they were interrogated, the suspects could not give a satisfactory explanation about their movement.
The CP further explained that when the suspects were searched, two locally made pistols and one live cartridge were recovered from them.
He added that the suspects were transferred to the Anti-Cultism Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department, where further investigation revealed that they were members of “Black Axe Confraternity, a notorious cult group”.
He gave the names of the suspects as Umar Wada, Longji Longkat, Mohammed Biola Alphonsus James, Mark Demson, Isaac Caleb and Peter Jonathan, all males.
Egbuka further said the Command has a comprehensive list of other members of the cult group; assuring that detectives have been detailed to go after them.
He further assured that once investigations are concluded, the suspects will be charged to court.
PREMIER NEWS recalls that, on the 23rd of December, 2020, a gang of vicious hoodlums attacked and shot dead one Barrister (Mrs) Kenmuen Tapshak Pwul at her home in Latiya Area of Jos South Local Government Area of the State.
During the incident, the victim’s six-year-old daughter was also kidnapped but later released to the family unhurt.
On the arrest of a suspected notorious kidnapper, linked with the above incident, the CP said, “In the course of an investigation of this heinous crime, and while combing the nearby hills and forests, police operatives apprehended one Idris Musa of Kafi-Abu area, Barkin-Ladi who had a gunshot wound on his leg.
“The suspect initially denied any complicity in the crime; but when confronted with evidence from the scene of the crime, he confessed and mentioned some of his accomplices”, the CP maintained.
The Police Boss assured that efforts are still ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects.
Other suspects were also paraded for various crimes.
Meanwhile, the CP thanked Governor Simon Lalong for his support in the fight against crime in the state and for signing into law the Anti-Kidnapping, Land grabbing, Cultism and Violence-Related Matters Bill.
