Troops from the 93 Battalion, under the 6 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, have apprehended Janet Igohia, the wife of a well-known kidnapper in Taraba State.
Lieutenant Oni Olubodunde, the spokesperson for the 6 Brigade, stated that she was caught while attempting to collect a ransom that had been paid by the relatives of a kidnapped victim in Taraba State.
The Brigade spokesperson further explained that she was arrested after receiving a sum of N1.5 million, which was the ransom payment for the abducted victim in the Chanchangi area of Takum local government.
Igohia disclosed that she was married to Voryor Gata, a notorious criminal who used to be the second-in-command to the late Gana Terwase, a militia leader who has since been neutralized in the neighboring Benue State.
“She is currently married to the leader of a violent extremist group in southern Taraba,” the army spokesperson said.
“According to her, she had previously been married to high-profile criminals such as the late Terkibi Gemaga, aka Mopol, a notorious kidnapper who was killed by troops five years ago.
“She revealed that she also got married to late Gana Terwase, another notorious criminal who was killed during a joint special force operation three years ago,” he added.
Olubodunde revealed that the Army has apprehended a well-known gunrunner who was involved in the illegal trade of firearms and ammunition. This individual was supplying these weapons to criminals not only within the State but also in other parts of the country.
The military spokesperson mentioned that the troops, acting on reliable information about the activities of this arms dealer, successfully arrested a suspect named Joshua Dutse.
Olubodunde explained that the troops had been tracking the suspect, which eventually led to his arrest in Ibbi town of Ibbi Local Government Area of the state. He was apprehended while driving to Kaduna State in a blue Volkswagen Sharon vehicle with the registration number Rivers SKN-390AA.
Furthermore, Olubodunde emphasized that during the interrogation, Dutse confessed that he was on his way to Katsina State to deliver AK-47 rifles. He had already received a partial payment of N300,000 for this illegal transaction.
“After a thorough search on the vehicle, troops recovered 1 PK machine gun, 399 rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition and 3 AK-47 rifle magazines,” he said.
The troops stationed in Mararaba Baissa community of Donga LGA have apprehended two additional suspected gunrunners.
The individuals are believed to be involved in extrajudicial killings and cattle rustling. They were found in possession of a total of N600,000. The suspects have been identified as Alhaji Adamu Damisa, aged 40, and Usman Isah, aged 44.
“The money recovered from the suspects was part of the proceeds from their illegal activities and 2 mobile phones,” he added.
