Sabah may have ‘Nikson Muktadir’ in custody

“We are still trying to confirm his real identity but we are 95 per cent certain that it’s Nikson Muktadir.”

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah police believe that they have nabbed Nikson Muktadir, one of the notorious Muktadir Brothers. They engage in cross border crime and kidnapping for ransom for militant groups like Abu Sayaf in the southern Philippines.

“We arrested a man who was among eight adults and children in a boat off Pulau Bohayan, Semporna at about 5.30 pm on Nov 30,” disclosed Sabah Police Commissioner Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman.

“We are still trying to confirm his real identity but we are 95 per cent certain that it’s Nikson Muktadir.”

Jalaluddin was announcing on Sat the extension of the dusk to dawn curfew along Sabah’s eastern seaboard until Dec 24. “There is no doubt about the effectiveness about the curfew.”

Nikson allegedly took part in the attack on Mabul island resort on July 12. Marine Police Kpl Abdul Rajah Jamuan, 32, was killed in the attack while his colleague Konst Zakiah Aleip, 26, was spirited away into captivity and has not been seen since then.

Apok Kahumbo @ Mubin Halil, 42, a key operative with the Muktadir gang and linked to Abu Sayyaf intelligence, was killed on Aug 29 in Tawi Tawi, southern Philippines, as he was leaving a court house in the provincial capital of Bongao.