….six others suspects
….rescue 2 babies, 13 kidnapped victims
Seven suspects, including a female gun-runner, have been smashed by the Zamfara State Police operatives.
Six other male suspects, the command said, were involved in the fraudulent act of obtaining by false pretenses.
Also, 13 female victims, including two babies, both one-year-old, were rescued from bandits’ enclave in the forest, having spent 50 days in captivity.
The six suspects connected with obtaining by false pretenses were alleged to had collected several millions of naira from their host communities by levying them, to avoid being kidnapped.
They achieved this through a bank account they created for that purpose, the command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Mohammed Shehu, stated in a press release, adding that the gang was, however busted on November 29, 2022.
According to the statement, after arresting the syndicate at about 4:15pm on the said day, the suspects owned up to the crime, confessing further that they usually sent threat messages to the villagers, asking them to contribute and pay money to them or face attacks.
“They further confessed of receiving millions of Naira from five different communities”, the PPRO said, adding that efforts were on top gear is to make further arrest and recovery before being charged to court.
He said, through discreet investigation, the sum of Seven Hundred Thousand Naira, as part of levies they collected from the affected villages, was recovered.
The suspects, according to the command’s spokesman, are; Jamilu Mohammed of Gadar Manya Village; Zayyanu Barmo of Manya Babba Village; Abubakar Usman of Mandau Village; Lauwali Girkau of Girkau Village; Sala Girkau of Girkau Village and Abubakar Yahaya of Tungar Mani Village all in Anka LGA
In the case of the female gun-runner, identified as Gaje Abdullah from Madachi Viiage in Katsina State, the PPRO said she was arrested, based on intelligence information, on November 29 by Police Tactical operatives
She was described as a notorious gun-runner that specialized in transporting arms and ammunition to a notorious bandit kingpin, simply known as Dawa, and had confessed to the crime
Dawa, SP Mohammed Shehu said, is a notorious bandit leader terrorizing innocent people of Zamfara and neighbouring states.
In the same vein, Police Tactical operatives, in collaboration with vigilante, acted on intelligence information regarding the abduction of 15 victims by bandits terrorist at Dike village in Funtua LGA of Katsina State.
Among the victims were two babies, both one-year-old.
“The Police operatives, on receiving the intelligence information, mobilized to the location and conducted search and rescue operation at Sabon Garin Dustin Kaura Forest in Danjibga District of Tsafe LGa. The rescue operation was successfully conducted, leading to the rescue of the victims hale and hearty”, the state Police spokesman revealed.
He further said that, the victims were all taken to hospital for medical check, debriefed by the Police detectives and handed over their families.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Kolo Yusuf, while commending the Police operatives and vigilante for the successful rescue operation, congratulated the victims for regaining their freedom, even as he reiterated the command’s continuous determination to rid the state of criminal activities and apprehend criminal elements committing heinous crimes across the state”, the statement concluded.
