The Taraba State Police Command has announced the arrest of three suspected members of a notorious kidnapping and motorcycle theft gang operating in the Takum Local Government Council of the state.

Police spokesperson, James Leshen, in a statement, said the suspects who were identified as Abubakar Usman, Yahaya Usman, and Ali Mohammed were said to have been apprehended on April 30, 2025, at about 2:45 p.m. by operatives from the Takum Division in collaboration with local hunters.

The arrests followed a two-month surveillance operation that began after police received credible intelligence on February 20, 2025.

The information indicated the presence of a group of young men engaging in lavish spending at local hostels and brothels without any identifiable source of income.

“Acting on this intelligence, police operatives placed the suspects under surveillance, eventually tracing their residences and making the arrests,” Leshen stated.

During interrogation, the suspects, according to the command, confessed to kidnapping one Alhaji Yau Buri of Kasuwan Haske on April 20, 2025, at about 7:30 am.

They were also said to have admitted to collecting a ransom of N1.5 million and stealing the victim’s motorcycle at gunpoint.

While commending the officers, the Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel S. Brete, called on residents to remain vigilant.

He also urged the public to continue supporting law enforcement agencies with timely and credible information to help rid the state of crime.