The Plateau State Police Command on Thursday paraded 24 suspects, among them is an 80-year-old man who allegedly defiled an eleven-year-old child in his room in Jos.
While parading the suspects, the Commissioner of Police, CP Julius Okoro said all the arrests were made possible through intelligent gathering.
“On 09/10/2023 we received information that one Peter Ashom an 80 years old man lured an 11yrs old girl into his room and attempted to have carnal knowledge of her under the pretense of sending her on errands,”
“Other sets of Suspects were kidnappers; a kingpin among them was a 17-yearly school dropout who killed five five-year-olds in his new neighbours in Gyel Jos South local government area.
The Police Commissioner said the kidnappers demanded 5 million, but the parents paid 400,000 naira through an account of a woman who happened to be the mother of the kingpin kidnapper.
“On 13/10/2023 at about 0900hrs, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Jos received a phone call that one Dawon Pam ‘m’ 5yrs old is missing and that all search throughout the night proved abortive.
“But that in the morning of 14/10/2023 at about 0540hrs, a pair of shoes belonging to the victim was found close to a handwritten note stating that “If he wants his child, he should give Five Million Naira (N5,000,000.00) and that he should not call them but he should send a text message through the phone number below”.
“The below GSM phone number was attached: 08186135490. Upon receipt of the report, a team of Police operatives led by SP Okala Ugbede swung into action and was able to trace the kidnappers on 23/10/2023 and arrested one of the culprits, Elijah Anthony ‘m’ aged 17yrs of the same address who upon interrogation admitted and confessed to have conspired with one AKA Malic ‘m’ of no fixed address and kidnapped the victim from his father’s compound to an uncompleted building in the community where they kept him and tied his mouth with elastic dural cloth to stop him from shouting.
“He also confessed that after collecting the sum of Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N400,000.00) from the victim’s parents, his accomplice the said Malic who is now at large strangled the victim while he held his hands and legs.
“Thereafter, they took the body and dumped it in a swampy place close to the uncompleted building. Based on the confession, a team of operatives visited the scene, the corpse was recovered and taken to the Plateau State Hospital for confirmation and necessary action after which it was released to the parents for burial. The investigation is still ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspect and any other accomplice. Future developments will be communicated to you in due time.
The Police showed two stolen vehicles that were recovered from 2 suspects who allegedly specialized in snatching cars. The police presented seven bags of dry leaves suspected to be Indian-Indian recovered from two women.
Another gang of suspects paraded were “one Azi Yakubu, John Yakubu, Agwom Azi, and Agwom Yakubu both ‘m’ of Federe were arrested. Exhibits recovered from the suspect include; three (3) locally fabricated revolver guns, one (1) local revolver pistol, and fourteen(14) 7.62mm live ammunition and cash sum of Ninety-Nine Thousand Naira (N99,000).”
CP Okoro told Journalists that a total of 39 suspects were arrested within the ongoing month of October; he urged citizens to be careful and report to the police any crimes in and around them.
