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The police in Jos, the Plateau State capital, yesterday, paraded 24 suspects, including an 80-year-old man, who allegedly defiled 11-year-old girl in his room.
Parading the suspects, the state Commissioner of Police (CP), Okoro Julius Alawari, said the command on Monday, October 9, received information that one Peter Ashom, 80, lured an 11yrs old girl into his room and attempted to have carnal knowledge of her under the pretense of sending her on errand.
He said the arrest was made possible through intelligence gathering, adding that other sets of the suspects were kidnappers; a kingpin among them was a 17-year-old secondary school dropout, who abducted and killed his neighbour’s five-year-old in Gyel Jos south Local Council.
According to the CP, the kidnappers demanded N5 million ransom, but the parents paid N400,000 through an account of a woman who happened to be the mother of the kidnapping kingpin, who was also paraded among the suspects.
The police boss also paraded two stolen vehicles recovered from two suspects, who allegedly specialised in snatching cars, as well as seven bags of dry leaves suspected to be Indian hemps recovered from two women.
Other suspects paraded were “one Azi Yakubu, John Yakubu, Agwom Azi, and Agwom Yakubu both ‘m’ of Federe village.
Exhibits recovered from the suspects, include: three locally fabricated revolver guns, one local revolver pistol, 14 7.62mm live ammunition and cash sum of N99,000.
Alawari told newsmen that a total of 39 suspects were arrested within the ongoing month of October, urging citizens to be careful and report to the police any crime in and around them.
Meanwhile, gunmen have kidnapped the former chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Plateau State Council, Mr Katdaba Gobum at the Zarmaganda area of Jos South Local Council of Plateau State.
Gobum was abducted on Wednesday night when he left the NUJ Press Centre, Jos, after exchanging pleasantries with his old colleagues.
The Guardian learnt that the kidnapping occurred on the verge of entering his street when some unknown people cornered him, collected his phone and personal belongings, and whisked away to an unknown destination.
Spokesperson for Plateau State Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Alfred Alabo, was yet to confirm the development, but a senior police officer, said the police will make sure that the victim is rescued unhurt.
Meanwhile, the incident has thrown many journalists in the state into a mourning mood as Gobuma was known for his peaceful mien.
