Zamfara State Police arrest 6 Suspects for Banditry, Kidnapping, Cattle Rustling

From Aliyu Buhari Gusau

Zamfara State Police has arrested six Suspected bandits for Banditry, Kidnapping, and Cattle Rustling

This was revealed by the command Public Relations officer, SP. Muhammad Shehu while parading the suspects to newsmen at the command's headquarters in Gusau the state capital Wednesday. 

“On 1st  January 2023 , Police Tactical operatives while on confidence building patrol along Gusau - Magami - Dansadau Road received a distress call about bandits plan to block the op road and attack commuters and by extension some villages”

“The Police operatives mobilized 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 gun shot wounds. Two AK 47 Rifles, Two Magazines, 104 round of live ammunition and bunch of charms belonging to the bandits were recovered at the scene”

“Police Tactical operatives while on confidence building patrol/ Stop and Search acted on intelligence information that led to the arrest of the two suspects for Banditry, Kidnapping, and Cattle Rustling.

“In the course of interrogation by the Police, the suspects confessed of being  into Kidnapping and Cattle Rustling in Various states such as Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger and other States in the North. adding that, suspects further confessed of belonging to the gang of Bello Turji where they took part in the kidnapping of unspecified number of victims in which millions of Naira were collected as ransom ”

“On 1st January, 2023 at about  330hours, Police Tactical operatives while on Confidence building patrol/Stop and Search  arrested  the suspect for Banditry and Kidnapping, 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 where millions of Naira were paid by victims relations as ransom”

“On 2nd January, 2023 at about 1215 hours, Police Tactical Operatives deployed along Gusau - Tsafe Road on rigorous patrol arrested the 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, 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 (3) women and two (2) children. 

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

According to him, 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. 

The police image maker pointed out that discreet investigation is in progress, adding that all the suspects will be charged to court for prosecution on completion of investigation.