Governor Yahaya Bello’s government says herdsmen from Nasarawa suspected to be kidnappers terrorising a part of Kogi have been nabbed.
They were caught by a group of hunters led by Joseph Salami, chief security officer of Adavi local government area, Kogi.
Onogwu Muhammed, the chief press secretary to Mr Bello, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
According to the statement, the suspects identified as herdsmen have been terrorising the Osara, Aku, Irepeni, Irapana, along the Okene-Lokoja expressway, were killed on Wednesday.
The government said the effort of the Adavi security head and the hunters was part of the efforts supporting the Kogi government’s fight against insecurity and safeguarding the lives and property of the people.
“Hon. Joseph Omuya Salami, CSO of Adavi LGA, led the hunters to neutralise kidnappers’ hideout terrorising Osara, Aku, Irepeni, Irapana along the Okene-Lokoja highway. The council chairman spent hours in the bush with the hunters before they could apprehend some of the kidnappers,” the statement disclosed. “Three of the gang members were arrested, while some escaped with bullets wounds during the confrontation.”
Around 8:00 p.m. at the Aku Farm Centre community in Adavi LGA, the suspected herdsmen came to the highway to launch an attack, said the government’s statement.
“But they were intercepted by the local hunters who were still on duty at that particular period which later led to the destruction of their hideouts in the bush,” it explained. “The suspected kidnappers apprehended were all herdsmen from Nasarawa state, and they are Abubakar Sadiq, Abdullahi Muhammed and Muhammadu Kabiru. One of them has confessed on their mode of operation, the nature of sophisticated weapons they use, and the names of other gang members.”
According to the Kogi government, the local council boss handed them over to the appropriate authority for further investigation.