By Wale Ishola
Bauchi State Police Command said it has arrested a military man with 81 parcels of dry leaves suspected to be cannabis popularly known as “Indian Hemp”.
The Commissioner of Police, Bauchi State, Umar Sanda, disclosed this when he paraded the suspect alongside others at the Command’s Headquarters on Tuesday.
He said the suspect is attached to the Nigerian Army 145 Battalion, Abia State.
He said: “On 6th February 2022 at about 12.00noon, our Safer Highway Patrol along Bauchi-Darazo Road, Bauchi State while on routine Stop and Search, intercepted a Toyota Highlander vehicle driven by one Yusuf Gongpolai Adams attached to Nigerian Army 145 Battalion, Abia State, who is presently on Development course at the Nigerian Army School of Environmental and Science Technology, Benue State.
“A thorough search was conducted and eighty-one parcels of dry leaves suspected to be cannabis was found in his possession.
“During the course of interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime.”
Sanda said that other exhibits seized from the suspect, Yusuf Adams, are one pair of Army uniforms, two Michelin tyres, one Army helmet, one bag containing some clothes and some charms.
He said an investigation was ongoing into the matter after which the suspect would be handed over to National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
Similarly, he said that eight suspects were arrested for criminal conspiracy, belonging to the gang of brigands armed robbery, illegally dealing in prohibited firearms, and illegal possession of firearms.
He said: “On the 2nd February, 2022, Police detectives in collaboration with a local team acted on credible intelligence and arrested the following suspects;
“Idi Lawan, (40) of Badanga village, Bauchi LGA, Tambaya Sule, (25) of Alkaleri LGA, Masa’ud Umaru, (30) of Liman Katagum, Mohammed Lawan alias Dogo (26) of Akko L.G.A, Gombe State, Mohammed Lawan alias Nalumbu (30) of Bauchi, Shehu Sulaiman (28) of Konyi village, Liman Katagum, Abubakar Sama’ila alias Bagobiri (38) of Alkaleri, Kachalla Hamza (30) of Alkaleri, all males.
“During interrogation, the suspects voluntarily confessed to be Armed Robbers. And also reveals that they operated in various places especially futuk Alkaleri LGA, Liman-Katagum, Bauchi LGA, lariski Gombe-Bauchi road, respectively, with AK-47 rifles.”
Furthermore, Sanda said that sequel to the arrest of the above-mentioned armed robbers on 2nd February 2022, the command made intensive efforts and further arrested five gang members.
He gave their names as Ya’u Sale, male, (37) of Bara, Kirfi LGA, Bauchi State, Sule Halilu, Male (32) of Tumfure Lekku village, Kirfi LGA, Abba Sani, male, (30) of Bara Village, Kirfi LGA, Friday Ibrahim, male (28) of Sabon Layi Billiri, Gombe State and Monday David, Male (28) of Lamugu, Billiri, Gombe State.
“The suspects were arrested in possession of three locally made guns. Furthermore, two of the suspects, Friday Ibrahim and Monday David confessed to have specialized in illegal sale of firearms.
“Exhibits recovered from the suspects include one English-made Barretta pistol, seven locally fabricated ammunition, four cartridges, one fabricated SMG gun, one fabricated double-barrel gun, one fabricated revolver gun with four cartridge capacity.
“Others are one fabricated revolver gun with six cartridge capacity one fabricated revolver gun with 10 capacity of long ammunition, one fabricated short revolver AK-47 with seven ammunition capacity and one fabricated gun with single capacity ammunition,” he said.
According to him, the investigation is in progress, after which the suspects would be charged to court.
