The Federal Government on Thursday confirmed the arrest of principal suspects in the abduction of the District Head of Daura in Katsina State, Alhaji Musa Umar.

The Chief of Naval Staff, ‎ Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, disclosed this while addressing State House correspondents at the end of a security meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

President Muhammadu Buhari presided over the meeting.

Umar, who is also the father-in-law to Buhari’s Aide-de-Camp, Col. Mohammed Abubakar, was kidnapped by four gunmen on May 1.

The abductors were said to have stormed his Daura residence at about 7 p.m. on Wednesday and fired gunshots into the air, making bystanders to scamper for safety.

Umar was said to have just returned from the mosque where he took part in the evening prayer, when the incident occurred.

Ibas said “serious efforts are being made, key suspects have been arrested and it is hoped that in a short while, those behind the heinous crime will be brought to book.’’

He noted that cases of kidnapping had dropped drastically in the last few days as security agencies had intensified efforts in curbing the menace.

“You will recall that during the last meeting, the Inspector-General of Police was directed to address the situation and consequently, various operations were set up; Puff Adder was one of the strategies.

“With the set-up of that operation, there has been a remarkable drop in the number of kidnappings.

“What normally would attract attention is when a key person in government, perhaps, is kidnapped. On the whole, the number of kidnappings has dropped and generally, I think that the security situation is improving,’’ he said.

On the security briefing, the navy chief said that the meeting was basically meant to apprise the President of the security situation after his short vacation abroad.

He said that the security agencies briefed him on what had been happening across the country with particular emphasis on the proliferation of small arms and what they were doing to curtail the consequences.

According to him, the president has also given directives that the agencies should do much more to ensure that Nigerians go to bed and wake up feeling healthy and confident that their security is guaranteed.

The security meeting was attended by Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali; National Security Adviser, retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno; Director-General, Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi and Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufa’i.

Others besides the Service Chiefs and Inspector-General of Police were Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari and Secretary to Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha.

 

NAN