Plateau: Police Command Parades Cultists, Suspected Criminals

From Tongnaan Bawa, Jos

Plateau State police command has arrested and paraded 118 suspecting cultists and others for various crimes.

The Commissioner Olugbemiga Adesina in a press briefing at the Police headquarters in Jos, on Monday,said the cultists were arrested while marking their annual festival celebration on Sunday following a tip off in Jos.

He said 60 other suspects paraded were for various offences such as child and human trafficking, robbery, criminal conspiracy and kidnapping.

The Police Commissioner explained that some of his achievements in the last few months in the state were arrest of suspects and recovery of Seventy- nine rounds of  ammunition.

Olugbemiga Adesina said arrest of two suspected friends trying to rob an owner of point of service (POS) at gun point and members of a cult group responsible for several serial killings at Gada biu and Rukuba road axis were made.

He said others arrested and have confessed to the crime are those in unlawful possession of firearms, Repatriation of girls who were taken to Ghana for prostitution and will all be charged to court upon completion of investigation.

He disclosed that
“On 03/06/2024 at about 05:30pm, the Plateau State Command received information at the Daffo Police Outpost revealing that on 02/06/2024 at about 10pm, some hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers invaded the house of one Franklin Osita, male of Fangha Daffo District.
On receipt of the report, I ordered the DPO Pankshin Division to immediately mobilize men and rush to the scene. Consequently, two of the hoodlums were neutralized due to our superior firepower, while others escaped with various degrees of bullet wounds. Exhibits recovered from the scene include; one Locally fabricated revolver gun loaded with Four 7.6mm ammunition, Two handsets, one Digger and one knife. The Corpses were photographed by our detectives and deposited at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, (JUTH). Manhunt for the other culprits in progress”.

“ARREST OF SUSPECTS FOR ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING:
On 29/05/2024 at about 11:30am, one Yusuf Musa, male of Angwan Kayarda, Gindiri District reported at the Gindiri Divisional Headquarters that on 28/05/2024 at about 11pm while his sons were in the bush with his cows, unknown gunmen invaded their camp, beat them up mercilessly and snatched their phone, machets and knife. He also revealed that the suspects also gave his son a phone number to pass same to him to enable him call and pay them off in order to avoid being kidnapped.
Upon receipt of the report, I immediately ordered the phone number to be tracked; consequently, one Ibrahim Audu was arrested. Upon conducting our interview, he confessed to the crime and mentioned his co-conspirator as one Manu Adamu, 40 years of Angwan Madaki, Langai district both male. The case is still under investigation and will be charged to Court upon conclusion of our investigation”.

“ARREST OF SUSPECT AND RECOVERY OF 79 ROUNDS OF LIVE AMMUNITION:
On 29/05/2024 while acting upon a tip-off, our men intercepted and arrested one Sani Umar at NTA park Jos. Exhibits recovered from his possession include Seventy Nine (79) rounds of 7.62mm ammunition. The Suspect has been prosecuted and is currently at the Correctional Center, Jos ”

ARREST OF AN ARMED ROBBER:
Based on a tip off received by one of our trusted informants, our men arrested one Tongshinen James, Godfrey Sunday and one Douglas Samuel both male while trying to rob a P.O.S operator at gun point. The suspects confessed to the crime and further confessed to being members of a cult group responsible for several serial killings along Gada Biu and Rukuba Road axis. The case will be charged to Court upon conclusion of investigation.

ARREST OF SUSPECTS OF CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY, ARMED ROBBERY, CAUSING GREVIOUS HURT AND CULPABLE HOMICIDE:
On 03/06/2024 at about 12am, one Baksin Abednego, male of Mungkot Village reported at the Pankshin division that some unidentified gunmen invaded the house of one Daleng Abednego, male of same address and attacked the occupants. That in the course of the attack, his younger brother, one Yillgin Danat, male of same address was shot and killed. The robbers also made away with cash sum of Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N850,000.00) only.
Upon receipt of the report, I directed the DPO Pankshin Division to immediately mobilize men and swing into action; consequently, the following suspects were arrested in connection with the attack; one James Nanfen, Yilgwen Chippal and Nanla Zale, all male of same address. Upon interrogation, the suspects all confessed to having conspired together and committed the crime. The case is still under investigation at the State CID and will be charged to court upon completion”

” ARREST OF CHILD TRAFFICKING SUSPECT:
On the 14/06/2024 at about 3pm, the Plateau State Police Command arrested one Peace John, female, 20 years old of behind redeemed church Bukuru Low cost in connection to a case of Human Trafficking. The victims whose rescue became viral on social media were said to have been rescued from the Republic of Ghana and repatriated back to Nigeria; they revealed upon interrogation, that it was the said Peace John who specializes in trafficking persons to Ghana for sexual Exploitation that lured them to Ghana. The suspect has been arrested, investigation is ongoing at the State CID and will be charged to court upon conclusion”

CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY, UNLWAFUL POSSESSION OF FIREARMS AND ARREST OF SUSPECTS
On 25/06/2024 at about 6am while acting upon credible intelligence, the Anti-Cyber Crime Unit (ACCU) of the Command conducted a search on the residence of one James Sunday male, 20 years of Angwan Mission Tudun Wada, Jos North LGA. Consequently, the following exhibits were recovered; one locally made revolver rifle, one Axe, one Cutlass, and some Narcotic substances. During the search, one Jerry Sunday, Samuel Yakubu, both male of same address were also arrested. Investigation into this case is still in progress.

“ARREST OF CULT SYNDICATE AND RECOVERY OF EXHIBITS:
Based on credible intelligence gathered, I ordered the raiding of an apartment suspected to be a hideout of a cult syndicate. As a result, the Command Eagle-Eye Patrol Unit (EEPU) arrested the following suspects; one Obinna Eze, male, 27 years, of Uzuwani Enugu State, an identified ex-Convict, Drug dealer and the hitman of the Aye Confraternity, Jenifer Charles, female, 25 years, of Nasarawa State, Milcah Joseph, 27 years of Jos South LGA, all in possession of substances suspected to be Indian Hemp, other Narcotic substances and Charms.
Based on information revealed by the suspects, several other hideouts around Farin Gada were raided, where one Chilebo Moses, male, 19 years of Benue State, said to be the Second in Command (Chief Priest) of the Aye confraternity was arrested in company of one Somto Chukwu, 35 years, Chinedu Ede, 50 years, both male and one Elizabeth Kabiru, 42 years, female who are suspected facilitators of the cult activities.
The case is still under investigation”

“FOILED KIDNAPPING:
On 28/06/2024 at about 09:32pm, a distressed call was received at the Rantya Police Station, reporting that a gunshot sound was heard around Harris Gas Plant, Rantya.
Upon receipt of the report, I immediately ordered the DPO Rantya to mobilize men and rush to the scene. On reaching the scene, it was discovered that Three (3) armed men suspected to be kidnappers ambushed one Jimoh Abdulmajid, male, 35 years of same address, a business man and shot at his vehicle, thereby destroying two of his tyres and whisked him away into the bush.
Our team of Policemen immediately engaged the suspected kidnappers in a hot chase. As a result, the hoodlums abandoned the victim and escaped into the bush. The victim was however rescued unhurt. I have ordered intensive patrol and surveillance in the area, with a view to arresting the fleeing suspects” He added.