…….As Police ‘Tactical Operatives’ Nab 12 Bandits’ Informants in the State
The Zamfara State Police Commissioner, CP Kolo Yusuf has vowed to do everything humanly possible to end insecurity in the state as mandated by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba.
CP Yusuf, stated this on Saturday 17th September 2022 through the Zamfara Police Command spokesperson, SP Mohammed Shehu during a press briefing about the arrest of suspected ten informants to bandits who supply arms/ammunition, foodstuff, motorcycles, military uniforms, negotiate, and deliver the ransom to the bandits.
According to SP Shehu, the Police Tactical Operatives arrest the suspects during intelligence-led operations conducted in some criminal hideouts in Gusau and Tsafe LGAs respectively.
He said the following are the first six(6) man syndicate who specializes in giving information, supply of arms/ammunition, and military camouflage uniform to bandits: Abubakar Mainasara a.k.a. Major ‘m’ aged 35yr of Tsafe LGA, Babangida Moh’d a.k.a, Soja ‘m’ (Impersonating as a military officer) aged 30yrs from Gusau LGA, Jamilu Kawali a.k.a Tailor ‘m’ from Gusau LGA, Lawal Ibrahim a.k.a. Galadima ‘m’ aged 38yrs from K/Namoda LGA, Surajo Idris a.k.a. Hon. ‘m’ aged 37yrs from T/Wada Area, of Gusau LGA and Amadu Rufai ‘m’ from Birnin Magaji LGA.
According to him, “on 12th September 2022, the arrested suspects listed above are members of a notorious syndicate of informants who collaborate with Bandits to terrorize peace-loving people of Gusau, K/Namoda, Tsafe, Bungudu LGAs, and environs.
“The nefarious activities of this syndicate group were to give information to bandits to make it easier for them to attack communities and kidnap people for ransom.
“It was equally part of their activities to collect millions of Naira to source for arms/ammunition and Military camouflage uniforms for the Bandits.
“Their recent dirty business was when one of the suspects Abubakar Mainasara ‘M’ a.k.a, Major in his statement to the Police confessed to collecting the sum of Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N850, 000) from the bandits to source for military camouflage uniforms for them, a consignment that was given to Babangida a.k.a. Major, who connived with one of their collaborators, a Tailor, one Jamilu Lawali ‘m’ of Gusau to source and sew the uniforms which at the end was delivered to the Bandits.
“The same suspect further confessed to collecting the sum of Two Million Naira (₦2,000,000) from Bandits to supply arms and ammunition for them, even though, two of his accomplices Lawal Ibrahim ‘M’ and Surajo Idris ‘m’ confirmed to the Police that the money given to the suspect was Six Million Naira (₦6,000,000) for the arms deal consignment and not N₦,000,000 naira. The sum of One Million Naira (₦1,000,000) was given to the same Babangida Soja ‘M’, who in turn gave only Sixty Thousand Naira (₦60,000) to Jamilu Lawali ‘M’, (Tailor) for the supply of the ammunition who at the end supplied Ten (10) rounds of AK-47 live ammunition which was handed over to Bandits through Babangida Soja and Abubakar Mainasara ‘m’.
The operatives also arrested a suspect, Zainu Lawal ‘m’ aged 39yrs from Tsafe LGA on 14th September 2022 with arms, four rounds of the cartridge, a military camouflage uniform, a fake military ID card, and other dangerous weapons, claiming to be a military man as at the time of his arrest.
“Discreet investigation is in progress to unravel the circumstance behind the illegal possession of firearms”, Shehu said.
Also, on 14th September 2022 Police Detectives acted on intelligence information that led to the arrest of Alhassan Lawali ‘m’ aged 27yrs from Tsafe LGA, and Mansur Usman a.k.a Dan Alhaji ‘m’ aged 25yrs, also from Tsafe LGA.
In the course of interrogation, Shehu said, Alhassan Lawali confessed to having supplied over fourteen (14) Operational Motorcycles to the Bandits in the forest at the rate of Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (₦750,000) each, of which he earned the sum of Fifteen Thousand Naira (₦15,000) per motorcycle.
The suspect, he added, further confessed that for over the years, he was the one repairing motorcycles for the bandits if spoiled.
“The suspect in his statement also mentioned one Mansur Usman ‘m’ as his collaborator who was later arrested by the Police. When interrogated, he confessed to having been supplying foodstuff and delivering same to the bandits in the forest.
“He also confessed that many times he collected and delivered ransom to the bandits. The last ransom he delivered was the sum of Two Million Three Hundred Thousand Naira (₦2,300,000).
The Command also arrest Umar Camaro ‘m’ aged 35yrs from Rafi in Mada District of Gusau LGA.
Exhibits recovered from him on the spot include one (1) AK-49 rifle, one (1) Lar rifle, and 174 rounds of live ammunition.
The suspect was intercepted on 16th September 2022 at about 1400hrs, by the Police Tactical Operatives while on surveillance patrol along Gusau–Kotor Koshi–Mada axis.
In the course of interrogation, the suspect was said to have confessed to being one of the notorious bandits terrorizing Mada and Kotor Koshi with banditry attacks, Kidnapping, Cattle Rustling, and other heinous crimes.
“All the suspects will be charged to Court for Prosecution, upon completion of the investigation”, Shehu said.
