Troops from 93 Battalion under 6 Bridget of the Nigerian Army have captured a suspected female kidnapper while attempting to pick ransom in Taraba State.
Lieutenant Oni Olubodunde, spokesperson for the Brigade, reported that in addition to this arrest, the troops also detained a notorious arms dealer involved in supplying weapons to criminals across Taraba State and other regions of the country.
The female suspect, it was revealed, was married to a well-known criminal who held the position of second-in-command to the late Hana Terwase. According to Olubodunde, the troops were working on credible intelligence on the activities of the arms dealer, Joshua Dutse Idah, 45.
Furthermore, Olubodunde stated, “The troops had been tracking the suspect, leading to his apprehension in Ibbi town, Ibbi Local Government Area of the state, as he was en route to Kaduna State in a blue Volkswagen Sharon vehicle bearing registration number Rivers SKN-390AA.” Dutse confessed during interrogation that he was on his way to Katsina State to procure AK-47 rifles, for which he had already received a partial payment of N300,000. Following a thorough search of the vehicle, the troops discovered 1 PK machine gun, 399 rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition, and 3 AK-47 rifle magazines.
Olubodunde also disclosed the arrest of a suspected female kidnapper named Janet Igohia, aged 31, after she was found in possession of N1.5 million, believed to be ransom money for a kidnapped victim in the Chanchangi area of Takum LGA in the state.
It was revealed that Igohia confessed that she was married to Voryor Gata, a notorious criminal and former second-in-command to the late Gana Terwase. She is currently married to the leader of a violent extremist group in southern Taraba and has had previous marriages to high-profile criminals such as late Terkibi Gemaga, alias Mopol, a notorious kidnapper killed by troops five years ago. She also admitted to being married to the late Gana Terwase, another notorious criminal who was killed during a joint special forces operation three years ago.
Lieutenant Olubodunde further mentioned that troops deployed in the Mararaba Baissa community of Donga LGA arrested two other suspected arms dealers allegedly involved in extrajudicial killings and cattle rustling, seizing a total of N600,000. The suspects were identified as Alhaji Adamu Damisa (40 years old) and Usman Isah (44 years old).