After nearly three months of investigation, the leadership of the Nigeria Police has confirmed the arrest of four suspects responsible for the abduction and subsequent murder of a Colonel of the Nigeria Army in Kaduna.

On March 27, 2016, the Army had reported that one of their own, Colonel Samaila Inusa, was kidnapped and taken away by unknown gunmen in his Mercedes-Benz car around Kamazo, Kaduna Refinery Road, in Chikun Local government area of Kaduna State, two days later after the kidnap, he was found dead around Ajyaita village off Eastern Bypass Kaduna. Preliminary investigation showed the likelihood that the late senior officer was killed on the same day he was kidnapped by his abductors, as the body was found already decomposing.

A statement issued yesterday in Abuja by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Olabisi Kolawole, said the arrest of the suspects in Kaduna by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and the Kaduna State Command SIB operatives, following “discreet, sustained and painstaking intelligence” also led to the recovery of weapons in the possession of the suspects.

The arrested suspects — Ibrahim Kabiru, Ebele Precious, Emeka Okeke Cyprain and Chijioke Ugwuanyi — were apprehended in pairs, according to the police, after deploying available technical assets to track a Prison Warden Abdullahi Adamu, an associate of one of the arrested suspects, who was using the Techno handset stolen from the murdered Colonel.

The statement explains “sequel to the kidnapping and killing of the officer, the IGP IRT deployed the Technical and Human Intelligence assets of the Force, which led to the arrest of a Prison Warder named Abdullahi Adamu, who is a close associate of one of the prime suspects who was using the Tecno mobile phone stolen from the slain Colonel.

Further investigation led to the arrest of two (2) of the prime suspects, namely: Ibrahim Kabiru ‘m’, 23, (aka uztaz) and Ebele Precious ‘m’, 41 (aka pastor), while the gang leader, Emeka Okeke Cyprian ‘m’, 44, and one other member of the syndicate, Chijioke Ugwuanyi, ‘m’, 42 (aka CJ) were later arrested.”

The suspects, said to be a gang of notorious criminals with special skills in car snatching, truck hijacking and disposal of stolen vehicles in the state, were arrested with “one AK 47 rifle, two magnum pistols, one Nissan Pathfinder Jeep and documents of six (6) houses located in Anambra State of which Emeka Okeke Cyprian confessed were proceeds of his previous criminal activities”.

While commending the diligence and professionalism exhibited by the IRT and Operatives of the Kaduna State SIB detectives, IGP Solomon Arase sued for citizens’ support to the Police, saying such support to the Police key is to breakthrough achievements.

The Police said the arrested suspects are presently in custody of the Force will soon be arraigned before a competent court of law for criminal charges preferred against them while effort to arrest the fleeing members of the gang continues.

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