The Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) announced the successful raid of a kidnappers’ camp located in a border community near Abuja, resulting in the arrest of three suspects and the neutralization of one.
SP Josephine Adeh, the Police Public Relations Officer for the FCT, revealed this development in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja. This raid forms part of the ongoing efforts by the command to combat criminal activities within the FCT.
According to Adeh, police operatives from the Utako Divisional Headquarters, led by CSP Victor Godfrey, conducted the operation at identified hideouts in Chikara, a border community in Kogi State adjacent to the FCT.
The operation, carried out between June 8 and June 13, culminated in a surprise raid on the kidnappers’ camp, which led to an intense gunfight. The police’s superior firepower overwhelmed the kidnappers, resulting in one suspect being neutralized and three others apprehended.
“The sudden appearance of the police operatives in the kidnappers’ camp resulted in a gun duel,” Adeh stated. “However, the bandits were overwhelmed by the firepower of the police operatives. One of the gang members was hit during the crossfire, and three suspects were arrested.”
The arrested suspects have reportedly confessed to their involvement in multiple kidnappings and other serious crimes in the FCT and its surrounding areas.
In addition to the arrests, the police recovered a cache of weapons and other items from the suspects. The recovered items included an English pump-action gun, a locally fabricated pistol, two live cartridges, cutlasses, knives, and items believed to have been used for charm-making.