Five suspected armed thugs allegedly involved in sporadic shooting which resulted in the killing of a man and injuring 11 others, have been arrested by Zamfara State Police Command.
The names of the suspects were given as Lawali Yakubu, Aminu Abubakar, Su’aibu Mohammed, Abdulmumini Bawa and Surajo Yahaya.
The suspects, along with seven others nabbed for various crimes, were shown to journalists on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, during a press briefing at the command headquarters in Gusau.
At the briefing, the command’s image maker, SP Mohammed Shehu, who represented the Commissioner of Police, Yusuf Kolo, that the hoodlums’ arrest followed a distress call received on Saturday, October 15, at about 6:15pm, that armed political thugs brandishing weapons, including guns and cutlasses, were shooting indiscriminately at innocent people in Gusau.
He said that the shooting led to the killing of a man while 11 others were injured and had been receiving treatment at Yariman Bakura Specialist hospital, Gusau.
“The Command, in an effort to curtail the situation and arrest the perpetrators, reinforced its tactical operatives.
“On sighting the police operatives, the hoodlums started shooting, thereby putting the lives of the cops and peace loving citizens in danger.
“However, the police acted professionally and used minimum force which led to the arrest of five suspects while others fled,” the PPRO stated.
Among exhibits recovered from the suspects were four locally-fabricated guns, seven cartridges, a cutlass and charms.
Also, three informants who engaged in gun running were arrested.
They were identified as Abubakar Buda, Bitrus Bulus a.k.a Peter and Weng Adamu. They were said to have been running the business between Jos, Plateau State, and Zamfara.
Exhibits recovered from them included part of AK-47 rifle and 100 rounds of live ammunition.
In his explanation, SP Shehu said that on Tuesday, October 11, police tactical operatives deployed along Tsafe-Funtua Road acted on intelligence information that led to the interception of an ash colour Golf car driven by Buda, aged 32 and native of Zuru Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
The suspect was discovered to have been coming from Jos to Kucheri in Tsafe where he was to deliver arms and ammunition to a notorious bandit leader called Chumo.
When searched, the Zakari-47 rifle parts and the ammunition were found in his possession.
In the course of interrogation, he reportedly mentioned two of his collaborators, Bulus and Adamu, both from Jos South Local Government Area as his partners in crime.
Buda further confessed that he had been supplying arms, and had severally collected arms and ammunition from one James in Jos who is currently at large.
He added that he had delivered them to the bandit leader, Chumo, who had been terrorisjng Tsafe-Funtua Road and attacking villages and communities in Tsafe and Mada in Gusau Local Government Areas.
Tactical operatives also intercepted four bandits on two motorcycles while on patrol along Tsafe-Funtua Road Saturday, October 15 at about 4pm.
The suspects were Ibrahim Abubakar (20), Sani Abacha Yahaya (20), Sani Mohammadu, (23) and Ahmadu Sani (22).
The PPRO disclosed that the suspects were walkie-talkie, which they were using to communicate among themselves during operations.
He stated further Intelligence information about them revealed that they had been among the hoodlums that were terrorising commuters along the road, attacking, killing and kidnapping innocent people.
They were said to also belong to a notorious syndicate that made life unbearable in several villages in Tsafe and its environs.
Exhibits recovered from them were two motorcycles, four mobile phones, a walkie-talkie radio and N140,000.
SP Shehu said that investigations were in progress and the suspects would be charged to court upon the completion.
