The Kaduna State Police Command on Tuesday declared a State of Emergency to stop the rising cases of kidnapping in the state.
The command’s spokesman, DSP Zubairu Abubakar, said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Kaduna, that an anti-kidnap squad had been formed to track and dislodge the criminal gangs.
He said the declaration of the state of emergency was on the orders of the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase.
NAN reports that several people in towns and villages have been kidnapped for ransom by criminals in the last three months across the 23 local government areas of the state.
In some of the recent high profile kidnap cases, a Colonel in the Nigerian Army, Samaila Inusa, was killed by his abductors hours after he was taken on March 25.
Similarly, the Vice-President, United Church of Christ in Nigeria, died while he was held captive recently.
The cleric was kidnapped along with the President of the Church, Rev. Emmanuel Dziggau, and Rev. Yakubu Dzarma, who were later released.
A former Executive Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, and now a Director in Dangote Group, Mansur Ahmed, regained his freedom after he was abducted recently in Kaduna.
Abubakar acknowledged the cases and said that the police had made several arrests and commenced prosecution of some of the suspected kidnappers.
According to him, 13 suspects have been charged to court while 15 others are under investigation.
He said the deployment of the new squad was to heighten the search for the criminal gangs and make the state safe from their nefarious activities.
The police spokesman appealed for more support from the general public in the renewed effort to rid the state of criminals.
