Police in Taraba, northeast Nigeria, killed four suspected kidnappers in a gun duel on Sunday, policy authorities say.
This came less than a week after the State Police command formed a Special Anti-kidnapping Squad comprising operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and the Mobile Police unit, known as MOPOL.
The Sunday operation which was launched in collaboration with vigilantes followed a tip-off from locals of Kungana village in Bali Local Government Area of the state.
Nigeria is currently experiencing a wave of violent attacks ranging from banditry to armed robbery and kidnapping for ransom.
Confirming this in a telephone chat with BusinessDay correspondent on Monday, spokesman of the state police command, David Misal, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said the suspected kidnappers were killed in their camp located on top of a mountain.
According to him, “the DPO of Bali received a tip-off that the kidnappers who have been operating within the area were hiding in the mountains, and quickly mobilised the Police and Vigilante groups.
“On getting to the camp of the kidnappers on the mountain, there was a duel which led to the death of four of the suspected kidnappers.”
He disclosed that a locally made gun, charms, pots of soup, solar panel, and ammunitions were recovered from the kidnappers’ den.
