Police operatives have arrested members of a criminal gang responsible for the kidnap and murder of a Catholic seminarian, Nnadi Michael, of the Good Shepherd Major Seminary, Gonin Gora, Kakau, in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The suspects are Tukur Usman, 37, a father of seven; Shehu Bello, 40; and Mustapha Mohammed, 30, all from the Igabi Local Government Area of the state.
The force spokesman, DCP Frank Mba, disclosed in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, that the men were apprehended after several months of intensive investigation by crack detectives of the Intelligence Response Team
The gang had stormed the seminary on January 9, 2020, kidnapped four seminarians, and murdered one of them in cold blood.
The body of the deceased was found in a bush, where it was abandoned.
The criminals released the other three hostages three weeks later after collecting a huge ransom.
Police investigation revealed that the suspects were part of a 19-man gang that also carried out the abduction of Dr Phillip Ataga’s wife and two daughters on January 24, 2020, in the Juji community, Chikun LGA of Kaduna State.
Mrs Ataga was killed by the gang following her resistance of an attempt by the leader of the gang to rape her.
After collecting a ransom, the suspects released the daughters and the corpse of the woman to her family.
The statement read in part, “Further investigations revealed that the same criminal gang is responsible for the kidnap of six students and two teachers of the Engravers College, Chikun LGA, Kaduna, from their school premises on October 3, 2019.
“The suspects, known to belong to a hybrid terrorist criminal network wreaking untold havoc on the North-Central, have confessed to several other random operations along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, where they kidnapped, killed and robbed motorists, collecting ransom and valuables running into millions of naira.
“The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, gave an assurance that the force will not rest on its laurels until the other members of the gang, who are currently on the run, are apprehended and brought to justice.”