By Sandra Kenneth
Operatives of the Nasarawa State Police Command have arrested six suspects in connection with a botched abduction-for-ransom plot and a separate cult-related killing in the state.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Ramhan Nansel, disclosed the breakthroughs in a press statement released to newsmen in Lafia on Thursday.
According to Nansel, four of the suspects—identified as Yahaya Musa, Likita Adamu, Riga Abdullahi, and Saidu Alhaji Gari, all residents of Adudu District in Obi Local Government Area—were apprehended following credible intelligence gathered by the State Intelligence Department (SID).
Police investigations revealed that the syndicate had plotted to kidnap a prominent resident, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi (also known as Alhaji Na’iye). Operatives foil the scheme before execution, arresting two suspects on September 19, followed by the third on September 22, and the final member on September 23.
“During interrogation, the suspects confessed to their involvement in the planned abduction and further disclosed that they intended to execute the victim after collecting ransom,” Nansel stated. The four suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Lafia for further investigation and prosecution.
In a separate development, police operatives arrested two suspects linked to a fatal cult violence in Lafia.
Officers from the Ombi 1 Division responded to a distress call at approximately 6:00 AM on September 24, discovering a 26-year-old Benue indigene, identified only as Venus, lying in a pool of blood behind the Eji-World area. The victim was rushed to the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Lafia, where he was pronounced dead by medical personnel. His body has since been deposited at the mortuary for an autopsy.
Preliminary findings indicate that the attackers were searching for the victim’s friend, Joseph Friday Oluyemi, who had previously reported receiving threats from cult groups. Police subsequently arrested two suspects—Friday Joshua and ThankGod Auta Vincent—while a manhunt continues for additional accomplices.
Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police, CP Shetima Jauro Muhammad, has ordered a thorough and professional investigation to ensure all culpable individuals face the full weight of the law, while urging members of the public to stay vigilant and report suspicious activities promptly.
