The Taraba State Police Command has announced the arrest of nine kidnap suspects in Taraba and the recovery of a significant cache of arms and ammunition following a major security operation in the state.
The announcement was made in a statement issued in Jalingo, by the acting Police Public Relations Officer, James Leshen.
The command said the arrests were made after credible intelligence was received by operatives of the FID STS Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The operation was also said to have been carried out in collaboration with officers of the Taraba State Command, local hunters, and vigilante groups.
Leshen explained that the initial phase of the operation, conducted on April 25, 2025, led to the arrest of three suspects.
The suspects were identified as Shehu Ibrahim, from Larai Gada, Ilorin; Abdullahi Haruna, from Angwan Karofi, Bauchi State; and Yusuf Bello from Birama Village in Donga Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The suspects were reported to have confessed to their involvement in several kidnapping operations.
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Items recovered from them include one AK-47 rifle, two AK-49 rifles, six magazines, and 45 rounds of live ammunition.
Further investigations, according to the command, resulted in the arrest of six additional suspected members of the same kidnapping syndicate.
The six suspects were named as Sulaiman Mohammed from Lariski, Gombe State; Tijjani Bello from Jalingo, Muhammed Umar from Jalingo; Adamu Ibrahim from Karim Lamido, Solomon Nathaniel from Logo, Benue State; and Haruna Adamu from Lushi Village, Lau.
“During the extended operation, police also recovered three more AK-47 rifles, one AK-49 rifle, and four AK-47 magazines,” Leshen said.
The command further disclosed that the suspects confessed to participating in multiple kidnapping operations across Taraba, Adamawa, Gombe, Plateau, Bauchi, and Kaduna States.
Commending the operatives for their efforts, the Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Bretet, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to dismantling criminal gangs and ensuring the safety of lives and property across the state.
He further assured the public that investigations are ongoing and that efforts are being intensified to track down other fleeing members of the syndicate.
