The Department of State Services, DSS, has announced the arrest of one Jonah Abbey aka Jonah IDI which it described as a notorious gunrunner alongside his driver, Agyo Saviour aka Dan-Wase.
DSS, in an e-mailed statement to The Trent on Sunday, March 18, 2018, said Abbey has been on its wanted list for the last 10 years over arms and ammunition trade before his arrest on March 13, 2018, in Wukari town in Wukari LGA, Taraba State.
The Service said the gunrunner have been supplying weapons to criminal groups in Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Rivers, Imo, Anambra, Plateau, Nasarawa, and Benue/Taraba axis, including the notorious criminal syndicate led by Terwase Akwaza aka Ghana in Benue State.
DSS added that recent intelligence indicated that Abbey moved arms and ammunition from Konduga in Borno State into Taraba State through his driver, Saviour.
“It may be noted that subject has entrenched his criminal activities in different parts of the country and as earlier mentioned, has clients especially in Plateau, Ebonyi, Cross River, Enugu and Bayelsa States, among others. Indications are that he sources arms from the Republic of Cameroon and parts of the North-East of Nigeria,” DSS said.
The Service also revealed in the statement that in a similar operation, its operatives on March 15, 2018, arrested a high profile kidnap kingpin, Lawal IBRAHIM, a.k.a Alhaji AWALU, at Chiwarna Hotel, Angwan Rogo by Bauchi road, Jos North LGA.
The kidnap kingpin, DSS said, was arrested alongside his cohorts namely Ado SALEH and Bayero ADAMU.
“The syndicate was responsible for the killing of a personnel of the Service in the State, Daanan BALGNAN, on December 30, 2017, and was involved in other high profile kidnap incidents in Plateau and neighboring States of Nasarawa, Kaduna, and Bauchi.
“Following the arrest, the sum of N1.5 million was recovered from the suspects. The money is part of the sum of N2 million ransom, which the syndicate collected from Ayuba GAMALE, a staff of Industrial Training Fund, ITF, whose two (2) abducted family members were released on March 14, 2018. Other members of the syndicate are still being trailed by the Service.
“The arrest of these suspects is significant for two different, but related reasons. In the first case, the arrested kidnap kingpin, IBRAHIM, is adjudged the most dangerous in Plateau State, as he is known to be principally responsible for recent kidnap incidents in the State.
“This arrest would be a great plus in the fight against these criminal gangs. In the case of Jonah IDI, his arrest would greatly degrade and disrupt the booming illicit arms supply business, which up till now has sustained the crisis in Taraba, Benue, Plateau and Nasarawa States,” DSS said of the two arrests.
