With the arrest of notorious and dreaded killers and kidnappers who operated in Plateau State, residents of Shendam Local Government Area of the state which had hitherto been raided by the gang, can now sleep with their eyes closed.

The gang was recently burst by operatives of the Inspector General of Police  Intelligence Response Team(IRT).

Investigation reveals that first to be arrested was an alleged notorious kidnapper, Kwane Matthew, who, according to police source had allegedly unleashed terror on residents of the area for a long time. 

It was gathered that Matthew, had kidnapped two prominent sons of the area, owners of four petrol fillings stations, operating within the area- Dipdat and Dandong. He was arrested alongside two of his alleged trusted informants, Jordan Laguma and Sunana Douglas, who were said to have monitored and passed information on the movements of their victims.

Police sources disclosed that after gathering enough information, Matthew, who is a native of Shendam, would invite members of his gang, who were mainly armed Fulani herdsmen, allegedly led by one Jagoro Umaru.

According to the police, they would storm the area with Ak-47 rifles, abduct their victims into the forest, contact his or her family members to pay ransom before the release of the victim.

A source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity disclosed that Matthew’s notoriety is well known to everyone within his community, but none could confront him due to fear of losing their lives.

The source stated that after Dandong, was kidnapped and N15million allegedly paid to secure his freedom, his community summoned courage and wrote a petition against him and his collaborators to the IGP.

The IGP, it was gathered, swiftly deployed his operatives at the IRT to arrest the gang members.

He was said to have confessed during interrogation that he gave out information about Dandong’s location and his movements to Matthew before he was kidnapped and that he also got N1million as his share from the ransom. He was also said to have assisted the operatives in luring Matthew out from his hideout as well as two other suspects, Jordan Laguma and Namoo Damsu, who were also arrested by the operatives.

The 29-year-old Mathew was quoted by IRT source as saying that: “I am a primary school dropout because my family became poor during the Jos crisis. I couldn’t feed myself and I was arrested then by the police and taken to prison when I stole a motorcycle. But last year February, I met one Jagoro Umaru, a Fulani herdsman, who usually rears his cattle in my community. He approached me, asked me to join his robbery gang. I accepted because I had no job after I was released from prison. They were eight persons in his gang and we went to rob traders in Taraba State. We attacked people who were returning from the market. The people were mainly Fulani cattle traders. We attacked so many people on my first mission and I was given N60,000:00 as my share. I was the person that brought the second job.  I brought the gang to my community and we kidnapped a rich businessman living within our area known as Dipdat, who has two filling stations.  I showed them the house, but I didn’t go with them into the man’s house to kidnap him. They took the man away on their motorbikes into a thick bush in Bauchi State. Three days later they called me and gave me N1.5million, but there was a man known as Jordan who I sought information about the Dipdat, before he was kidnapped. I told Umaru that we have to give him some money. They sent me N1million which I gave to Jordan.

“In November 2018, I approached Douglass who was close to another rich man in our area, known as Dandong, who also own two filling stations and I told him that I wanted to kidnap the man and I needed information about the man’s movements. I promised to reward him handsomely if he gave me the information I needed.  One week after our conversation, Douglass called and informed me that the businessman was with the man and I should come with my men and I called Umaru to come so we could kidnap the man. We did and took him to Taraba State.  We kept him for three days and N15million was paid as ransom.  I was given N2.5million and Douglass got N1.2million as his own share.”

Luguna, it was gathered, denied giving information about Dipdat’s movements to Matthew, but accepted receiving N1million.

IRT source also said,  Laguma,  who is  married with five children allegedly confessed that: “I am into wood business, but I was arrested because a man known as hit man called me to come for a meeting in Jos. When I got there, and after the meeting, I saw some policemen who asked about Jordan and I told them that I  was the one  and they arrested and took me into their vehicle. While in the vehicle, I saw one Matthew and Douglass and I was asked if I knew them. I said yes and they asked if I have had any dealings with them. I said no. Then I asked Matthew if my arrest was in connection with the money he gave to me and he said no. Matthew pleaded that I shouldn’t tell the police anything about him. So, when we got to the police station and they started interrogating me seriously, I told them that the only dealing I have had with Matthew was at the time when he came to me and asked about a businessman known as Dipdat, who had two fillings stations in my area.  I told the police man that Matthew asked me to monitor the man’s movements and pass the information to him.  I refused because I have heard terrible things about Matthew.  After then I traveled out of our state and when the businessman was eventually kidnapped and released, Matthew sent N1million to me through a man, who I don’t know.”

For Douglass, according to the IRT source, regretted giving information that led to the kidnap of his benefactor to Matthew.

Douglass 43, was quoted as saying that Matthew deceived him and took information about Dangdong’s movement who he also identified as his benefactor without informing him that he needed the information to perpetrate evil against the businessman.

“When Matthew approached me and sought information about my friend and benefactor, Dangdong, he told me that he wanted to buy diesel from him. Dangdong has two filling stations and Matthew has a big generating set that uses Diesel. “So, when he came to me, he said he wanted someone to supply him diesel to fuel his generator. I gave him information about Dangdong to Matthew believing he wanted to do business with the man and I didn’t know that he was planning to kidnap the man. After the man has been kidnapped, Matthew brought N1million to me and I accepted because I needed money to solve some of my issues.  Sincerely, I don’t know that Matthew was planning to kidnap Dandong, who is my friend and had assisted me in several ways. I made a mistake for not informing Dandong when Matthew was making enquiries about him.  I got myself engrossed with the business proposal Matthew was putting forward before me, that was why I gave him the man’s location on the day he was kidnapped. Matthew called me and I told him that I was with the man, but I didn’t know he was coming to kidnap the man. I was the first person that was arrested.  I led the police to arrest Matthew in his house.  My village people suspected that I had a hand in it because they had seen me talking with Matthew severally and on the day the man was kidnapped I was with him.  They were the people who alerted the police, and they got me arrested,” he allegedly narrated.

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