THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police command has arrested a wanted logistic supplier and informant to a kidnapping and banditry group terrorising the FCT and its environs.
The 25-year-old suspect, Mohammed Hamza, popularly known as Auta, was arrested by the anti-kidnapping unit of the command at the Mongoro Forest.
A statement by the command on Saturday, June 10, explained that the suspect had been on the wanted list of the Force allegedly for his involvement in supplying firearms, ammunition and other weapons to criminals in their various hideouts in the forests using a motorcycle.
The command stated it recovered three AK47 rifles, 32 live ammunitions, six locally made firearms, food items, and an unregistered Boxer motorcycle from the suspect.
According to the statement, investigations were being intensified to identify and cut off the criminal supply chain, as well as arrest other members of the gang.
The command said it also arrested 11 other criminal suspects for various crimes, including illegal possession of firearms, illegal fabrication and production of small arms and light weapons, and armed robbery.
The statement added, “The suspects – Daniel Williams, 51; Mohammed Yusuf, 41; Abdulrasheed Abdullahi, 26; and Aminu Mohammed, 41, all male – were intercepted and arrested in the Zuba area of the FCT by operatives of the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB).”
The statement said that four locally made firearms and one live cartridge were recovered from the suspects.
The police said its preliminary investigations revealed that the gang was involved in fabricating and producing small and light weapons locally.
“Also the operatives of Utako Divisional Police Headquarters on 07/06/2023 at about 1900hrs, following a tip-off actionable intelligence, arrested eight suspected armed robbers at one Amala Garden in Utako. Following the arrest, three firearms of different calibre, knives and hard drugs were recovered from them.
“The suspects are Sani Ibrahim, male, 41 yrs old from Gere LGA of Borno State; Yusuf Ilyasu, 25, male, aka Tablet, an ex-convict from Plateau State; Awala Lawal, male, 22, from Kano State, an escapee of Kuje prison; Hassan Daudo, male, 34, from Borno State; Abbass Gidado, male,18, from Katsina state; Shamsu Haibu, 35, from Kano state; Sani Suleiman, male, 37; from Kano state; and one Shehu Jimoh, male, 26, an ex-convict from Kogi State,” the statement read.
The Commissioner of Police, FCT Police Command, Haruna G. Garba, reiterated, in the statement, his commitment to crush all crimes and criminality within the FCT, warning all criminal elements to steer clear of the FCT and its environs.
“The CP equally enjoined the public to be law abiding, and be vigilant to enable them swiftly render distress/complaints through the following emergency lines: 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653, and 08028940883, while the Public Complaints Bureau (PCB) desk, could be reached on 0902 222 2352,” it added.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M
Comment: Good job and its suppose to Nigerian Police Force to boost Vigelante’ across the Terrories location’ and approve surpervisers that re Investigate what FIB-STS and State Force Intelligence doing when they re Duty’ i said that becouse our Officers are Corrupted”