Following the loss of innocent lives in the towns, villages and communities along the Minna-Bida-Birnin Gwari-Funtua and Tegina-Kaduna highways, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris deployed personnel of the Special Tactical Squad attached to Operation Absolute Sanity and personnel of Niger State Police Command under the supervision of the Commissioner of Police, Niger State to restore law and order in the communities mentioned and arrest the perpetrators.

Consequent on this directive, the joint team moved in and raided all the identified criminal camps, kidnappers’ dens and hideouts in the Forest in Birnin-Gwari, Tegina, Alawa and Kabata town in Niger State. The operations that lasted several days and intense exchange of fire between the Police Joint Team and this vicious militia/kidnap for ransom gang resulted in the arrest of Thirteen (13) above mentioned suspects and recovery of the cache of prohibited arms and ammunition listed above.

The gang confessed to have been responsible for the kidnap and slaughtering of seven (7) persons from a mosque at Kabata town under Rafin LGA of Niger State late last year. They also admitted to be responsible for the attack on a Police Post at Alawa town in Shiroro LGA of Niger State where the Police Post was burnt down and two Policemen who were in a team on a rescue mission of some kidnapped victims were ambushed and killed by this Militia gang.

The Gang leader, Lawal Maisaje a.k.a Lawal Kwali and his second in command Zakairu Mamman during interrogation confessed that they have slaughtered more than Nineteen (19) innocent people in the mentioned villages which include a father and his son after collection of ransom from most of the victims ranging from One Million Naira to Three Million Naira. Investigation is being intensified to arrest other gang members still at large.

The suspects will be arraigned in court on completion of investigation.

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