By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
Kogi state branch of the Hunters Group of Nigeria, (KSHGN), have arrested two kidnappers who have been terrorising motorists along Lokoja- Okene highway on Thursday morning.
The kidnappers who were allegedly planning to commence operation in their usual attacks on passangers along the Lokoja-Okene road, jam badluck as two of them were arrested by local hunters.
It was gathered that the Kogi State branch Hunters Group of Nigeria state Commander, Bature Inusa, led the hunters to the hideout of the kidnappers following a tip off.
Reliable sources disclosed that hunters who were on patrol at about 4.30 am apprehended their informant, one Dan Fulani, at Kabba junction, who also confessed after
interrogation, that he has been given information to the kidnappers for their operations.
According to the leader of the hunters, “when we interrogated this suspect he told us that they all live in Kabba Junction and that they kidnapped a woman who they collected the sum of five million naira as ransom before she was released.”
“He further told us that only one hundred and twenty thousand naira was given to him by their leader who according to him travelled to Kaduna to purchase more arms.”
He said “these kidnappers have been terrorising many communities along Lokoja-Okene road. They were nine in number. We caught one of them and one of their informants ,while the remaining ones were at large . We are chasing the rest. We have deployed more hunters to their hideouts.”
“Hunters knows the nooks and crannies of that forest because we have been chasing animals there in the midnight even when we were children. These kidnappers cannot hide like the fast animals that we chase and kill in that forest. We shall rescue the victims alive”, he added.
Inusa then appealed to the state government to provide the group with logistics such as patrol vehicles, office accommodation, communication gadgets and remuneration for members.
A community leader in Crusher Village, Baba Sarkin Baka, while commending the hunters for the feat said hunters know the terrain in every community and possess native intelligence and traditional tools to accomplish their mission.
Items recovered include, locally made 3 pistols, One AK-47, bullets and ten raps of weeds suspected to be cannabis.
The commander who said the suspects would soon be handed over to the police explained that his men were on the trail of the remaining kidnappers.
As at the time of filing this report, the Police Public Relations Officer in the State, Williams Aya, could not be reached for official comments.
