Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command have arrested a suspected kidnapper after a fierce gun battle.
A gang of kidnappers had invaded an estate in the Kubwa area of the FCT in the early hours of Friday upon encountering the police, they opened fire and fled into a nearby swamp.
Our correspondent gathered that the police pursued the kidnappers, apprehending one of them and recovering a vehicle belonging to the gang.
When contacted, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Tunji Disu confirmed that one of the kidnappers had been arrested and weapons were recovered from him.
He said the police’s swift intervention was due to a call made by one of the residents.
Disu urged residents to promptly contact the command’s emergency lines whenever they witness suspicious activities in their environment.
He said, “Luckily one of them was arrested, others escaped. And then we recovered from them an AK-47 rifle with 20 live ammunition, and a Beretta pistol with 12 rounds of ammunition in it.
“We are making a frantic effort to arrest others who have escaped. It is important to note that we want to thank those who saw the incident and quickly called the police.
“This bothers on the importance of seeing something and immediately reporting it. We are begging everybody not to just stand by and watch when an incident happens without taking action. Notice any action taking place, robbery taking place, call the control room immediately, and the police will help.
“So I want to thank the person that called us to action immediately. I will make a frantic effort to pick others who escaped from the scene of the incident. “