Headline: Kidnap Suspect Arrested After Car Crash in Nasarawa, N6.9 Million and Weapons Recovered

The Nasarawa State Police Command has arrested a suspected kidnapper and recovered N6.9 million in cash, along with a cache of firearms and ammunition, following a lone car accident in Garaku, Kokona Local Government Area.

The incident occurred around 9 a.m. on Monday, when officers from the Garaku Police Division responded to a distress call from the Angwan Mayo community about a crashed Opel Vectra vehicle with registration number Plateau BLD 566 ST, near the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) checkpoint.

According to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Ramhan Nansel, two occupants of the vehicle fled the scene immediately after the crash. A vigilant VIO officer on duty recovered a G3 rifle and a sum of cash from the abandoned vehicle and handed them over to the police.

A subsequent search of the towed vehicle at the station revealed more weapons and cash, including:

• One AK-47 rifle
• One Type 06 rifle
• One G3 rifle
• Three magazines
• 57 rounds of live ammunition
• N6.9 million in cash

Following the discovery, a joint operation by the police and military led to the arrest of Mohammed Tahir, a resident of Barkin Ladi in Plateau State.

“During interrogation, the suspect confessed to being a member of a seven-man kidnap gang responsible for the abduction of a lawyer in Nyanya, Abuja, where ransom was collected,” Nansel said.

The suspect further disclosed that he and an accomplice were on their way to Jos to divide the ransom money when the accident occurred.

The Commissioner of Police, Shettima Jauro-Mohammed, has directed that the suspect and all recovered items be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Lafia for further investigation.

DSP Nansel reaffirmed the command’s commitment to working with other security agencies to combat crime in the state. He also commended the public for their vigilance and urged continued cooperation with law enforcement.