Zamfara State Police Command has arrested six suspects for various offences, with one of the suspects caught with N1.07 million allegedly meant for the purchase of AK-47 rifles.
The state Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, spoke during a press briefing at the police command headquarters in Gusau, on Friday, March 29, 2021.
Yaro said one of the suspects, a bandit, Lawal Ibrahim, was arrested at Biyabiki village in Tsafe Local Government Area of the state.
The police boss said an AK-47 rifle and magazine with two rounds of live ammunition were also recovered from him.
Yaro said “On March 17, 2021, a team of policemen, attached to Operation Puff Adder II in Tsafe Local Government Area, received an intelligence report that a strange person suspected to be a bandit was seen at the outskirts of Biyabiki Village.
“Operatives, in collaboration with the vigilante group of the area, quickly went to the scene and arrested the suspect who was in possession of AK-47 rifle and magazine with two rounds of live ammunition.
“Discreet investigation of the suspected bandit is ongoing at the State Criminal Investigation Department, with a view to arresting his collaborators before he is charged to court for prosecution.”
Another suspect, Murtala Yusuf of Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State, was arrested with a motorcycle and a sharp iron.
“On March 24, 2021, the suspect, who came all the way from Funtua in Katsina State to Zamfara to perpetrate act of criminality, was arrested by our men of Operation Puff Adder II, after an alarm was raised by the victim who happened to be an Okada man conveying the suspect from old market to Janyau area, Gusau.
“On reaching the destination, the suspect, who was armed with a deadly sharp iron, inflicted injury on the victim’s right hand and also poured some powder-like substance into his eyes thereby blinding the victim before robbing him of his Boxer motorcycle.
“Two suspects were also arrested for aiding and abetting banditry through the supply of hard drugs to bandits, as well as operating unlicensed pharmacy store.
“The suspects are Aminu Mohammed, Nnanna Uchenna, while a third suspect, identified as Buzu, is now at large.
“On March 10, police operatives in Shinkafi LGA acted on credible intelligence and arrested the above suspects both residing in Shinkafi town. The two suspects were apprehended after series of complaints by residents of Shinkafi communities that the duo had engaged themselves in the supply of hard drugs and injections to bandits in the bush through one Buzu, who is now at large.
“One of the suspects, Mohammed, who happened to be the middle man in the business, was arrested with 100 bottles of pentazocine injections collected from Nnanna, while delivering the said injections to Buzu.
“A suspect, Ibrahim Adamu, was also arrested by the police.
“On March 18, the police command arrested one Ibrahim Adamu a.k.a Gado, after a credible information revealed that himself and one Tsoho Dandela, all bandits from Kangon Marafa village of Bungudu LGA, concluded plan to purchase AK-47 rifles from one Dogo, a notorious armed bandit residing in a bush under Zurmi LGA.
“Our operatives mounted a monitoring squad which led to the successful arrest of one of the suspects with the cash sum of N1.07 million, meant for the purchase of the arms.”
The police commissioner added that all the suspects would be charged to court after the completion of investigations.