Police parade 11 suspected kidnappers of Sierra Leonean envoy

The Nigeria Police Force on Tuesday paraded 11 suspected kidnappers of the Deputy High Commissioner of Sierra Leone to Nigeria, Maj-Gen. Alfred Claude-Nelson.

Claude-Nelson was kidnapped on June 30 along Kaduna-Abuja Road by suspected gunmen and freed on July 5.

Presenting the suspects, the Force spokesman, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Don Awunah, said that the suspects were arrested through coordinated police operation.

“In a coordinated operation based on intelligence and technical support, the intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police has smashed an 11-man kidnap gang.

“This coordinated operation led to the arrest of 11 members of the notorious gang that has been terrorising the North Central states of the country,” he said.

Awunah said that the gang’s mode of operation included mounting of road blocks on highways in military uniforms and surprise attacks on unsuspecting motorists.

Others include relocating their victims from one point to the other in the forest to avoid detection and arrest, he said.

Awunah said that items recovered from the suspects included three AK 47 rifles, three AK 47 rifle magazines with 90 rounds of ammunition as well as two sets of military camouflage.

He said the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, had directed state commissioners of police and technical operation commanders to improve on response to cases of crime and criminality.

He said that Idris assured all members of the diplomatic community of their safety and adequate security in Nigeria.

Awunah said Idris had also ordered the same intelligence based operations throughout the federation to flush out all criminal elements.

He said that investigations were ongoing and that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded.