•Recover 19 AK-47 rifles, 10 other firearms, 453 live ammunition, 17 cars
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force Special Tactical Squad have arrested 32 suspects for alleged complicity in the crimes of kidnapping, armed robbery, arms smuggling, illegal possession of weapons, trading in illicit drugs, trans-border car theft and rape, among others.
This was disclosed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CP Frank Mba, in a press release issued on Tuesday, November 30, 2021.
The police team also recovered 19 AK-47 rifles, one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), three revolver rifles, two G-3 rifles, one Sub Machine Gun (SMG), one Beretta pistol, 453 rounds of live ammunition of different calibre, twelve magazines and 17 stolen cars from the criminals during the follow-up investigations.
The FPRO said that the arrest of six criminals involved in car theft in different parts of the country particularly Nasarawa, Port-Harcourt, FCT, Kebbi and Zamfara, was notable among the cases.
“These suspects smuggle the stolen cars through our international borders and deliver same to a major criminal receiver called Alhaji Garuba (still at large) in Niger Republic.
“Investigations revealed that the modus operandi of the suspects include snatching the cars at gun point and sometimes removing the cars from where parked, especially crowded car parks like the cinema, church and mosque.
“These cars are sold in neighbouring countries at give-away prices and sometimes delivered to Alhaji Garuba in exchange for illicit weapons.
“The INTERPOL unit of the Nigeria Police is already working with their counterparts in Niger Republic to arrest the fleeing suspects in order to bring them to book,” Mba stated.
Also, a 27-year-old Dayyabu Mohammed of Soba Local Government Area of Kaduna State was arrested for illegal possession of five AK-47 rifles and 250 rounds of AK-47 ammunition.
The suspect was said to have been arrested during a crackdown on bandits at Saminaka Forest in Kaduna State by operatives of Special Tactical Squad.
The FPRO said: “Investigation shows that Dayyabu Mohammed is an arms supplier to two identified and wanted bandits in the North West and North Central parts of the country. The two bandit kingpins are Yellow and Budderi. Dayyabu Mohammed was intercepted while ferrying the weapons from Jos, Plateau State, in a Golf-3 saloon car, to the bandits in their hideouts located in a forest at Birnin-Gwari, Kaduna State.
“Investigations by the police team revealed that the Golf-3 saloon car was given to Dayyabu as his operational vehicle by one of the wanted bandits, with a promise that the full ownership of the vehicle would revert to him on completion of five successful arms delivery missions.”
In addition, perpetrators of a recent deadly attack on travellers in the Tafa axis of the Kaduna–Abuja highway where two women and their husbands were abducted by the criminals into the forest were also arrested.
It was learnt that operatives of the Special Tactical Squad deployed to the area had been quickly mobilized and had gone after the suspects to rescue the victims.
The police operatives eventually identified the hideout of the criminals, launched a rescue mission and successfully rescued the hostages, including the women, unhurt, CP Mba disclosed.
“The operatives equally apprehended a gang of six – Mohammed lawali, Suleiman Ibrahim, Mohammed Rebo, Bashir Audu, Monsoru Abubakar and Abubakar Hamidu – in connection with the attack on a mosque in Mazakuka area in Mashegu Local Government Area in Niger State, where 18 people were reportedly killed and more than 30 abducted.
“Investigations by the police team revealed that the gang leader, Mohammed lawali, and some of the gang members are escapees from the Lokoja Correctional Centre. Bashir Audu was arrested for his criminal role of supplying hard drugs to the gang. Two AK-47 rifles, three fully-loaded magazines and various parcels of hard drugs were recovered from them,” Mba stated further.
Commending the team for the successful operations, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, assured the nation that the Force would continue to close-up on these criminal elements who pose threats to national security.
The IGP called on members of the public who had been victims of car theft to visit the STS office at Guzape, Abuja with proofs of ownership to claim the vehicles, bearing in mind that the colour, interior and vehicle number plates might had been tampered with.
“All the suspects will be arraigned in court on completion of investigations,” the FPRO said.
