•Two abducted pastors regain freedom

Plateau State Police Command has killed a suspect and arrested a prison escapee and nine others suspected for crimes ranging from cattle rustling, kidnapping and possession of firearms and ammunition. They were also arrested for vandalisation of railway property, culpable homicide and criminal conspiracy. The state’s Commissioner of Police, Bartholomew Onyeka, who disclosed this while parading the suspects in Jos, said they were arrested by men of his division. Onyeka said their arrests followed a report by one Saleh Bahago that his children were attacked at gunpoint while grazing cows. He added that on receipt of the report, policemen from the Bashar Division swung into action and arrested three suspects. The commissioner explained that their arrest led to the recovery of 16 cows from a community in Mikang Local Council of the state, while the suspects confessed their involvement in the kidnap of one Dauda Mohammed, the village head of Pinau in Wase. According to the police boss, when some criminals sighted the police who were on routine patrol, they started firing at the police, but they were overpowered and one of them was killed, while others escaped with gunshot wounds. The commissioner said the rustled cows were valued at N60 million by the owner.

MEANWHILE, two pastors, who were kidnapped on Wednesday, November 9, at about 8:30p.m. in Bisichi village of Jos South Local Council of Plateau State have been released. The victim, Dr. Nuhu Bakwa, a Pastor together with his friend also a Pastor were released at about 8:30p.m. on Thursday, almost the same time they were abducted after payment of undisclosed ransom. A family source said that the duo were dropped by the kidnappers at the same spot, where they were kidnapped by a filling station at Mararaba Jama’a at a point near the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) checkpoint in Bisichi. The source disclosed that the victims were travelling from Mangu Halle in Mangu council to Jos, when they were ambushed and abducted. They were badly treated and wounded. It was gathered that Bakwa lost his aged father in his village and was travelling home with his pastor friend and his family to prepare for the burial. The family source had earlier disclosed that Bakwa left Abuja, where he works to the village for the burial preparation. When he got to Mararaban Jama’a with his wife, children and friend, they were stopped and the two pastors were kidnapped, leaving the wife and children behind in the car. A family source declared that the kidnappers made contact demanding N10 million before their releas