By Princess Simon (Bureau Chief North Central, in Minna)
Efforts by Niger State Police Command to rid the state of armed banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminality have continued to yield desired results, as the Command have arrested seven suspects for various offences including those who serve as informant to criminals and supplier of arms and ammunition to armed 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 on Tuesday.
Upon receipt of this information about the 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 comprised of Anti-Kidnapping Unit, FIB tactical squad and vigilante members to the area.
Consequently, due to sustained operational 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, and based on technical intelligence, one Nasiru Musa, aged 30 years, a male, 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, ‘male.’ of Bakori, Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State suspected to be a notorious arms dealer who supplies arms and ammunition to different armed bandit camps in Katsina, Kaduna and Niger state.
On interrogations, the suspect confessed to supplying arms and ammunition to armed bandits hibernating in Madaki forest in 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, ‘male ’, of no fixed address in Taraba state, but who was neutralized in Kaduna by FIB squad early this year and claimed that he makes gain of N100, 000 (one hundred thousand Naira) from every 500 ammunition delivered to any bandit’s camp.
The statement further indicated that police operatives attached to Tafa Division arrested one Emeka Umerah, aged 39 years, a ‘male’ of Onitsha in Anambra state driving a Toyota Camry vehicle with Reg. Nunber, RBC 723 BH which he could not give vivid 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, ‘male’, 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 investigations.
Also, the Police operatives have arrested four notorious fraudsters; Aliyu Mohammed (Ali Kanka) 48 years, Mu’azu Mohammed, 52 years, both ‘males’ of Kontagora, Shehu Abubakar, 35 years and Isyaku Ahmadu, 45 years, both ‘males’ of Maikunkele in Bosso Local Government, all from their operational base in Shango area of Minna.
Meanwhile, the Niger State Police Commissioner, Monday Bala Kuryas, has re-assured law abiding Nigerlites of efforts being made to bring all forms of crime and criminality to the barest minimal, even as he admonished citizens to be wary of fraudsters and avoid unrealistic returns of money when they have no legal investments of their own. NNL.
