A significant development took place on Thursday as the Nigeria Police announced the capture of the alleged mastermind behind the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train, where several passengers lost their lives and many were taken captive in March 2022.
The mastermind, known as Ibrahim Abdullahi but also by the alias Mandi, was the main culprit.
According to the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who revealed this information in Kaduna, the suspect had previously taken part in the kidnapping of students from Greenfield University in 2021.
In a surprising turn of events, 48 AK-47 rifles were confiscated during Mandi’s arrest, with ongoing efforts to uncover his sponsors and the source of the weapons.
He stated, “On 12th January 2024, police operatives from the anti-kidnapping unit of the Kaduna State Criminal Investigation Department, acting on credible intelligence, apprehended Ibrahim Abdullahi alias Mandi at the Abuja-Kaduna Road flyover near Rido Junction.
“The suspect admitted to leading a kidnapping gang that has been causing terror on the Kaduna-Abuja highway, alongside notorious criminals like Dogo Gide and Bello Turji.
“He was involved in numerous kidnapping incidents, including the Green Field University case, and played a role in almost all kidnappings along the Abuja-Kaduna highway.”
Meanwhile, the police spokesperson also disclosed that a total of 81 armed robbery suspects, 40 kidnapping suspects, 73 murder/homicide suspects, 36 rape suspects, 22 individuals involved in cult-related crimes, and 28 suspects engaged in various criminal activities were apprehended from January till now, focusing primarily on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway.
He elaborated that the success stories achieved so far were a result of the strategic initiative being pursued by the force along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway.
Adejobi further mentioned that the operatives successfully recovered 16 different firearms, along with 226 ammunition of various calibers.
“Moreover, our operations led to the retrieval of 28 stolen vehicles, over 200 weapons, and 600 bags of fertilizers.
“A sum of N3,350,000 that was previously paid as ransom to kidnappers has been successfully recovered, and our prompt and coordinated actions resulted in the safe release of 158 kidnap victims, all of whom were reunited with their families unharmed. These accomplishments include,” he remarked.
The police spokesperson reiterated that the Nigeria Police Force, under the leadership of Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, remained firmly committed to upholding the rule of law, ensuring the safety and security of all citizens, and combating criminal activities in the nation.
NewsNow disclosed that brutal terrorists had executed an attack on the Abuja-Kaduna AK9 train on March 28, abducting several passengers.
The terrorists strategically placed explosive devices along the rail track, causing a fatal derailment when the train reached the site, resulting in the deaths of eight passengers.
A day following the attack, another passenger succumbed to a gunshot wound, bringing the total fatalities from the incident to nine.
From the passenger list provided by the Nigerian Railway Corporation, 398 passengers purchased tickets, while 362 were confirmed to have valid tickets.