Minna – Efforts by Niger State Police Command to rid the state of banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminalities have continued to yield the desired results as the command has arrested seven suspects for various offences including those who serve as informant to criminals and supplier of arms and ammunitions to bandits.
A statement from the office of the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Niger State Command, DSP Wasiu A. Abiodun, for the Commissioner of Police Niger State Command gave the breakdown to journalists in Minna yesterday.
Upon receipt of this information about abduction of four persons, including one Aminu Garba and killing of two of the victims in Tegina, Rafi Local Government Area, the Command mobilized, drafted a combined team of tactical squad comprising of anti-kidnapping unit, FIB tactical squad and vigilante members to the area.
Consequently, due to sustained operating pressure on the hoodlums, two victims later escaped from their abductors while the remaining two including Aminu Garba were still in captivity and later killed by their abductors after collecting N13 million ransom.
However, on the 29th of August, based on technical intelligence, one Nasiru Musa aged 30 years ‘m’ was arrested in Tegina town in connection with the crime and on interrogations confessed to have conspired with one Lelwi and one Gwaskan-Daji, both men are on the run.
The command’s tactical team based at Dikko junction in collaboration with FIB squad also during a sting operation arrested one Umar Shehu aged 31years ‘m’ of Bakori, Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State suspected to be a notorious arms dealer who supplies arms and ammunition to different bandit camps in Katsina, Kaduna and Niger state.
On interrogations, the suspect confessed to supplying arms and ammunitions to bandits hibernating in Madaki forest Katsina, Ganai camp in Maidaro forest Kaduna and also a syndicate member from one of the cells terrorizing Kwamba/Maje area of Suleja.
Umar Shehu also confessed to have purchased the arms from one Abdulmani ‘m’ of no fixed address in Taraba State, but who was neutralized in Kaduna by FIB squad early this year and claimed that he makes a profit of N100, 000 from every 500 ammunitions delivered to any bandit’s camp. The statement further indicated that police operatives attached to Tafa Division arrested one Emeka Umerah aged 39 years ‘m’ of Onitsha in Anambra state driving a Toyota Camry vehicle with Reg.
Number, RBC 723 BH which he could not give account of. Umerah was arrested along the Abuja-Kaduna road, at Sabon- Wuse area of Tafa Local Government with the said vehicle and during interrogations confessed to have conspired with two others, one Uzor and Ego both presently at large to rob the owner of the vehicle at Garam village, Dogon-Kurmi Ward in Tafa on the 20th of August 2022.
The suspect said he was taking the vehicle to Kaduna for sale to a buyer, Zakari Kaura ‘m’ of Kaduna state. Case is under investigation as effort is ongoing to apprehend other members of the syndicate and the receiver. The cases according to the statement are under investigation.
Also, the Police operatives have arrested four notorious fraudsters; Aliyu Mohammed (Ali Kanka) 48 years, Mu’azu Mohammed 52 years both ‘m’ of Kontagora, Shehu Abubakar 35 years and Isyaku Ahmadu 45 years both ‘m’ of Maikunkele in Bosso Local Government, all from their operational base in Shango area of Minna.