The Taraba State Police Command has apprehended three suspected members of a notorious kidnapping gang and motorcycle theft syndicate in Takum Local Government Area.
The suspects, identified as Abubakar Usman, Yahaya Usman, and Ali Mohammed, were arrested on April 30, 2025, around 2:45 p.m. by operatives of the Takum Police Division in collaboration with local hunters.
The arrests, according to the police statement, followed weeks of surveillance based on credible intelligence received earlier this year.
In the statement issued on Friday by the Command’s Acting Public Relations Officer, James Leshen, the suspects had been under observation since February 20, 2025, after reports emerged of a group of young men spending lavishly in hostels and brothels without any known means of livelihood.
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“Police operatives kept them under surveillance for two months, enabling them to trace their respective residences,” Leshen said.
Upon interrogation, the suspects allegedly confessed to the kidnapping of one Alhaji Yau Buri of Kasuwan Haske in Takum on April 20, 2025, around 7:30 a.m. They also admitted to collecting a ransom of N1.5 million and stealing the victim’s motorcycle at gunpoint.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel S. Brete, commended the operatives for their diligence and urged residents to remain vigilant. He called on the public to continue providing actionable information to support ongoing efforts to rid the state of criminal elements.
