The Police, Army and the Department of State Security (DSS) have said that they have successfully burst a planned kidnap and abduction of students from the Gombe State College of Islamic and Legal Studies in Nafada, a border town with Yobe State. Briefing journalists in Gombe, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Shina Tairu Olukolu,
accompanied by the State Director of State Security and the Commander of the 301 Artillery Regiment, said the synergy between the three forces truncated the planned kidnap, and arrested the suspected insurgent, one Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed.
They said after interrogation, 26 year old Mohammed, a student of Sharia and Legal Studies Department of the school, confessed to sending the threat by sms, because he was not prepared for an impending examination.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police said that on March 14, at 1:30 pm, information from the Divisional Police Officer in Nafada indicated that an unknown person with GSM number 08165963766, had sent a threatening text message of a mass abduction of Students of the Gombe state College of Islamic and Legal Studies to the Registrar of the School.
He quoted the text message which read: “Unless the impending examination is stopped and the College closed down, otherwise there will be mass abduction of students and staff killed.”
Mr. Olukolu said due to the professionalism of the services and the seamless collaboration, the synergy between the three forces paid off and the prime suspect, Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed was arrested.
Also arrested were his cohorts, Haruna Mohammed 28, and Gambo Mohammed 37, who bought and pre- registered the sim and used it in sending the threat message.
The Police who paraded Abubakar Sadiq along with other suspects also displayed seven pre- registered sim cards, the sim pack of the sim used in sending the threat message with twelve other sim packs.
The Police also displayed four different Local Government indigenes Certificates (Akko, Kwami, Gombe and Yamaltu/Deba) all bearing Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed. One voter card bearing the suspect’s name and two UN Medals and equipment.
The Gombe State Police Commissioner called on the public to continue to partner with Police and other security agencies by giving genuine information at all times.
He however warned that people must “desist from taking the laws into their hands by either mob attack or confronting security agencies in the performance of their constitutional duties”