The Zamfara State Police Command has neutralised one bandit and arrested six suspects for banditry, kidnapping and cattle rustling.
The command has also repelled bandits attack and recovered two AK 47 rifles, 104 round of live ammunition and two magazines for AK 47 and bunch of charms.
Addressing journalists on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the command, SP Mohammed Shehu, said on January 1, 2023, the police tactical squad while on confidence building patrol along Gusau-Magami-Dansadau road received a distress call about bandits planning to block the road and attack some villages.
Shehu said, “The police operatives mobilised to the locations and engaged the bandits to a serious gun battle.
“Luckily enough, one of the bandits was neutralised and others were repelled by the superior fire power of the police operatives.
“As such they retreated back to the forest with possible gunshot wounds.”
Shehu stressed that two AK 47 rifles, two magazines, 104 round of live ammunition and bunch of charms belonging to the bandits were recovered at the scene.
He further explained that two suspected bandits, Umaru Buba of Baburasa Village in Niger State and Babuga Manu of the same address were arrested by the police for alleged kidnapping and cattle rustling in Zamfara, Katsina and Niger states.
He stated that the police tactical squad while on confidence building patrol and stop and search, acted on intelligence information that led to the arrest of the two mentioned suspects.
Shehu added that in the course of interrogation by the police, the suspects confessed to being into kidnapping and cattle rustling in various states such as Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger and other states in the North.
The suspects according to Shehu, further confessed to belonging to the gang called Bello Turji, and have taken part in the kidnapping of a number of victims in which millions of naira were collected as ransom.
Also arrested was one Misbahu who is a gang member of Bello Halilu Kachalla
Shehu said, “On 1st January, 2023 at about 13:30hours, police tactical operatives while on confidence building patrol/stop and search arrested the said suspects, Misbahu.
“The suspect while undergoing discreet investigation confessed of being a gang member of bandit kingpin, Halilu Kachalla, who operates in Zamfara and other neighboring states.
“The suspect further confessed of participating in several kidnapping and cattle rustling were millions of naira were paid by victims relations as ransom.”
Another suspected bandit, Abu Umaru, aged 25 was arrested by the police on January 2, 2023, along Gusau-Tsafe road
Exhibit recovered from him were one operational motorcycle and a knife.
Shehu said, “On 2nd January, 2023 at about 12:15 hours, police tactical operatives deployed along Gusau-Tsafe road on rigorous patrol arrested the above mentioned suspect on motorcycle coming out of the forest.
“In the course of investigation, the suspect confessed of belonging to a gang of bandits operating in Mada, Wonaka, Yandoto and Tsafe under their gang commander Malam Tukur.
“He also confessed that on several times, they blocked Gusau-Tsafe-Yankara road and abducted unspecified number of people and took them to their enclave in which their relations paid ransom before their release.
“The recent abduction they carried out was on 1st January 2023 at about 1900hours where they blocked two vehicles along Gusau-Tsafe highway by Yandoto Village and kidnapped nine persons including three women and two children.”
Shehu also explained that a notorious bandit informant in Kaura-Namoda Local Government Area, Isa Ayuba aged 35, was also arrested.
He said, “On 3rd January, 2023 police tactical operatives acted on intelligence information that led to the arrest of a notorious bandits informant who gives information to bandits operating in Kaura Namoda, B/Magaji , Zurmi and Shinkafi LGAs.
“In the course of interrogation, the suspect confessed to collaborating with bandits by giving them information on who to kidnap, where to attack and so on.
“The suspect is under police custody revealing vital information that will lead to the arrest of his collaborators.”
Shehu concluded that all the suspects would be charged to court for prosecution on completion of investigation.
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