Two suspected kidnappers have been arrested by a joint squad of the police, army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Operation Zenda in Makurdi, the Benue state capital.
This was revealed by the Special Adviser to the Governor of Benue, Paul Hemba during parade of the suspects.
The building where the suspected kidnappers used in holding their hostages was also demolished according to the Benue State Law of Anti-kidnapping 2017 signed into law by Governor Samuel Ortom.
The key provisions of the kidnapping and hostage-taking law include that anyone whose property is used to take hostages will forfeit that property to the government. Additionally, anyone who threatens to kidnap someone faces a seven-year prison sentence.
The Commissioner of Police in Benue revealed that they utilised a phone misplaced by one of the kidnappers as a clue to apprehend them.
He added that the kidnappers carried out three operations since they started operating, stressing that they succeeded in only two and one was unsuccessful.
The second in command of the gang, who said that he was 25 years, disclosed that they collected a ransom of N500,000 from the family of their first victim while the family of their second victim paid them N1 million.
Husband to their first victim, Ibrahim Anor, lamented that it was in his house that they came and kidnapped his wife away.
The commissioner of police gave assurance that measures are in place to apprehend the rest of the gang
