Photo: IGP Usman Baba
Security operatives from the Federal Investigation Bureau (FIB), the Inspector-General’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and a team of Operation Puff Adder from Abuja have apprehended 8 persons out of a 26-man kidnap gang members who allegedly kidnapped and later killed the father of a former governor of Plateau State, Senator Joshua Dariye.
The suspects who have been on the police wanted list, are alleged to have been involved in various cases of armed robbery, gun running and the kidnapping of several citizens of the state in the past five years and have been making fortunes from the kidnapping of innocent citizens, especially in Bokkos LGA and environs.
Police and family sources who prefer not to have their names mentioned because of the sensitive nature of the case, and for fear of reprisal, told Periscope International that some of the arrested suspects confessed on tape to have masterminded the abduction and eventual killing of Pa Dariye, who they hacked to death, even after a ransom was paid.
It was also revealed that they killed him because he recognized most of them and he would have revealed their identities if they released him eventually. Six of the eight arrested suspects are said to be natives of Dariye’s Horop village in Mushere District of Bokkos Local Government Area, while only two are their Fulani accomplices.
Pa Dariye was kidnapped in June last year and sources said N60 million Naira ransom was allegedly paid but they didn’t release him, and although there was initial apprehension that he may have been killed, there was no evidence to confirm that until now that his abductors have confessed to having killed him several months ago.
Luck, however, ran out of the suspects when they were carrying out one of their criminal activities in some Bokkos communities when, upon receiving credible intelligence, operatives of the FIB-IRT attached to the Operation Puff Adder Base in Kateri Annex, immediately mobilized and proceeded to Bokkos to confront the criminals.
On sighting the security operatives, the criminals were said to have fled in an attempt to escape arrest. The security operatives however went after them and eventually succeeded in arresting 8 of them from their various hideouts.
One of them, Abubakar Mohammed, aka BUBA, is a 23-year-old Fulani native of Gada Biyu Village in Bokkos LGA. He was arrested in Ambar village, Bokkos.
Another suspect, Ya’u Saidu, aka YA’U Kaban, is a 40-year-old Fulani native of Kaban village in Bokkos LGA. He was arrested in Horop in Mushere District of Bokkos LGA.
Titus Ezikiel, one of the suspects, is also a 33-year-old native of Horop, Mushere District and was arrested in Horop village.
Dauda Isah, another suspect, is a 38-year-old native of Horop-Mushere, who too was arrested in Horop village.
Another suspect is Sunday Ibrahim, a 35-year-old native of Horop-Mushere, who was arrested in Horop village.
Also arrested was Mangut Shumuwar, a 30-year-old native of Horop, Mushere District, who was arrested in Horop village.
Henry Amos, a 35-year-old native of Horop, Mushere District, was arrested in Chip village of Pankshin LGA, Plateau State.
Also, 57-year-old Jethro Ngusen, another native of Horop village, was picked up in Jos on the Yakubu Gowon Expressway. Ngusen is said to be the gang leader and mastermind of the kidnapping and subsequent murder of Pa Dariye.
All the 8 arrested suspects are said to have been whisked away to Abuja for further action after confessing to committing all the alleged crimes upon interrogation by the FIB-IRT-Puff Ader squad.
Plateau State Police Command Spokesman, Ubah Ogaba, confirmed the arrest of the suspects when contacted by our correspondent in Jos, without giving further details about the activities of the criminals and the gruesome murder of Dariye’s father.
Ogaba said,”The operation was carried out in conjunction with our men from the state command but if you need more information on the matter, you can contact the police headquarters in Abuja.”
Over 90-year-old Pa Dariye was first abducted in 2015 and was reportedly released after the payment of a humongous ransom. He was again abducted in June last year and a few days after his abduction, sources said the kidnappers demanded for a N100m ransom, but later hacked him to pieces, despite collecting about N60 million ransom!
