The Taraba State Police Command announced on Thursday that it had apprehended 28 suspects involved in various criminal activities, including the abduction of students from a federal university in the state.

The command also mentioned that its officers are diligently conducting a search to locate the former Takum local government council chairman, Hon. Shiban Tikari, as directed by the Taraba state chief judge, Justice Joel Agya.

Commissioner of Police, CP David Iloyanomon, revealed this during a press briefing held at the command headquarters in Jalingo.

This search is related to the murder of a member of the Taraba state House of Assembly, Mr. Hosea Ibi, which occurred in 2017.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE reports that two suspects in connection with Mr. Ibi’s killing were in early April 2024, sentenced to life imprisonment for complicity in the kidnapping and subsequent murder of the former legislator after confessing that (Tikari), the then Takum local government council chairman instructed them to perpetrate the act.

The police commissioner however said the command was still waiting to get an official directive from the office of the chief judge Taraba state, to hunt hard for the whereabout of the former council chairman who was mentioned in the case as the principal suspect as confessed by all the convicted suspect as one who directed them to abduct and killed the former legislator.

CP. Iloyanomon also disclosed that the command had after the arrest of the 28 suspects, also recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition as well as a Tricycle, charms, 102 cows, a motorcycle and other items.

“There is no doubt that the Police Command, leveraging the support and cooperation of security agencies in the state and the good people of Taraba State, have worked assiduously to fight head-on all forms of criminality with remarkable achievements.

“Police operatives attached to Gembu Division arrested one Abdulkarim Ibrahim at Perogal Tunga village in Sardauna LGA. A suspect who has been terrorizing villages in the Local Government has confessed to have been involved in several kidnappings. The investigation is ongoing in order to arrest his cohorts.

“Operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping team arrested one Garba Yahaya ‘m’ of Ali Yola village, Gassol LGA and one Abdullahi Usman Mohammed ‘m’ of Angwan Galadima of Yola town. The suspects confessed to have been involved in series of kidnapping in Gassol LGA and have collected six million nine hundred naira from one Alhaji Bugga.

“A joint team of police operatives from the Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad in conjunction with a local vigilante group, arrested one Laulo Alhaji Adamu ‘m’ of Bamanda Village Lau LGA, a notorious kidnapper who has been terrorizing Jimlari and Marraraban Kunini villages. The suspect has confessed to have been involved in series of Kidnapping, while investigation is ongoing to arrest his gang members and bring them to justice”.

The Commissioner said that other criminal suspects were arrested for other various crimes including culpable homicide, armed robbery, illegal possession of arms, cyber crimes, banditry, criminal conspiracy and theft as well as cattle rustling.

The CP also disclosed that the Inspector General of police has given special commendation to some officers of the command who turned down N8,000,000 bribe while on patrol and urged other officers to emulate them for their professionalism.

He commended Governor Agbu Kefas for his commitment to combating crime and all forms of criminality in the state as well as his continuous support to security agencies in ensuring that the state is peaceful and conducive for citizens, just as he also assured the Command will continue to remain committed to upholding law and order.