Police arrests three suspected abductors of Bethel school students

Police operatives in Kaduna have arrested three suspected kidnappers of students of Bethel Baptist High School in the state.

The three men were among the 50 suspected criminals paraded by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Frank Mba; at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

Mba told journalists the suspects were among the 25-man gang that kidnapped 121 students from the college on July 5.

He said the suspects played key roles in the students’ abduction, adding that the police had generated enough intelligence to ensure the arrest of other members of the gang.

The remaining 47 suspects were arrested for various offences including murder, kidnapping, cattle rustling, armed robbery, and car theft.

According to the Force spokesman, 26 assorted firearms including 13 AK-47 rifles, four submachine guns, four locally-made revolver pistols, and four Dane guns were recovered from the suspects.

READ ALSO: 10 more Bethel school students regain freedom, 21 others still in captivity 75 days after Abduction

Other exhibits recovered by the police were 2,701 live ammunition for AK-47, 20 GPMG live ammunition, 12 piano keyboards stolen from churches, and some electronics and electrical appliances.

Mba said two of the suspects were arrested for allegedly breaking into churches and stealing musical equipment and other electrical and electronics equipment.

He stressed that an investigation by the police revealed that the gang had broken into more than 16 churches in different parts of Abuja.

He said: “As soon as the instruments were stolen, the principal suspect who also impersonated as a military officer and dressed with the rank of a Captain would sit in front of the vehicle conveying the items.

“Wherever they came in contact with security men, he would introduce himself as a senior officer of the Nigeria Army from the military band.

“With that, he was able to beat security over a long time before he was arrested.”

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