The Taraba State Police Command has announced the arrest of nine suspected kidnappers and the recovery of a significant cache of arms and ammunition during a major security operation.

Acting Public Relations Officer of the Command, James Leshen, disclosed in a statement that the arrests followed credible intelligence gathered by operatives of the FID STS Force Headquarters, Abuja, in collaboration with officers attached to the Taraba State Command, local hunters, and vigilante groups.

According to Leshen, the operation led to the apprehension of three suspects on April 25, 2025.

Those arrested were identified as Shehu Ibrahim (27) from Larai Gada, Ilorin; Abdullahi Haruna (28) from Angwan Karofi, Bauchi State; and Yusuf Bello from Birama Village in Donga Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The suspects, were also to have confessed to their involvement in multiple kidnapping operations.

Items said to have been recovered from the suspects were one AK-47 rifle, two AK-49 rifles, six magazines, and 45 rounds of live ammunition.

Further investigations, the Command stated, also led to the arrest of six additional members of the same kidnapping syndicate.

“They include Sulaiman Mohammed (28) from Lariski, Gombe State; Tijjani Bello (30) from Nasarawo, Jalingo; Muhammed Umar (25) from Sabo Gari, Jalingo; Adamu Ibrahim (22) from Mutum Daya, Karim Lamido; Solomon Nathaniel (32) from Logo, Benue State; and Haruna Adamu (25) from Lushi Village, Lau,”the statement announced,” Leshen said.
“During the extended operation, police also recovered three more AK-47 rifles, one AK-49 rifle, and four AK-47 magazines.”

The suspects, according to the police, confessed to participating in several kidnapping operations across Taraba, Adamawa, Gombe, Plateau, Bauchi, and Kaduna States.
Commending the operatives for the successful operation, the Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel S. Bretet, reiterated the Command’s commitment to dismantling criminal gangs and ensuring the safety of lives and property throughout the state.

He assured the public that investigations are ongoing and that efforts are being intensified to apprehend other members of the syndicate still at large.