Police parade suspect linked to abduction of Benue medical students

The zone 7 police command headquarters in Abuja says it has arrested a suspect linked with the August 2024 abduction of 21 medical students in Benue state. The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of zone 7, Mr. Benneth Igweh, disclosed this when he paraded the suspect at zonal command in Abuja, on Wednesday. […]

The zone 7 police command headquarters in Abuja says it has arrested a suspect linked with the August 2024 abduction of 21 medical students in Benue state.

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of zone 7, Mr. Benneth Igweh, disclosed this when he paraded the suspect at zonal command in Abuja, on Wednesday.

He said the suspect and two others, now at large, were members of a gang that specializes in armed robbery and kidnapping in Benue and environs.

According to him, the suspect had confessed being a member of the gang responsible for the abduction of the medical students in Benue.

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He said the suspect had also confessed to have carried out several robbery operations along Adiga road in Benue state where he had snatched different motorcycles from travelers.

Igweh said the suspect who admitted selling the motorcycles and sharing the proceeds with his gang members, said he used a lot of charms for protection during his criminal operations.

The AIG said the suspect also confessed to selling his rifle to one retired soldier in Akpodo for N25,000.

He said efforts were being intensified by the zone to ensure that the fleeing members of the gang were apprehended and prosecuted.

Similarly, Igweh said detectives attached to the Zone 7 Special Investigation Unit (SIU), has also arrested three suspects over theft of electric transformers, cables and motorcycles.

He said the arrest followed an intelligence report that criminal elements around FCT, Kaduna and Nasarawa States had stolen electric transformers, cables and motorcycles.

The AIG said the intelligence revealed that the items were assembled around the Kubwa and Bwari axis of the FCT.

He said the detectives attached to the Zone 7 SIU moved swiftly, which led to the arrest of the three suspects behind an abandoned filling station in kagini area of Kubwa and the recovery of the transformers.

According him, preliminary investigation revealed that the transformers are usually brought in very late at night and upon interrogation, the suspects said the transformers were brought to them by owners for repairs.

“And further investigation revealed that only three out of the recovered transformers were genuinely brought to them for repairs,” he said.

The AIG, therefore, called on members of the public whose transformers were stolen to come forward with their proof of ownership to claim them.