THE Zamfara state police command says it has thwarted an attempted attack by bandits on a Divisional Police Station in Zurmi Local Government Area of the state while arresting a 35-year-old suspected informant, Umaru Zubairu, in connection to the attack.
Addressing the press, the command’s Public Relations Officer Yazid Abubakar, on Friday, August 4, said police operatives attached to the police station acted on credible intelligence that a group of armed bandits were planning to carry out the attack. The operative subsequently engaged the bandits in a gun battle which lasted for unspecified hours.
According to Abubakar, one of the bandits was killed while others escaped to the bushes after sustaining gunshot injuries.
“Police investigation that followed the incident resulted in the arrest of a 35-year-old female suspected to be an informant from Rukudawa village.”
Abubakar revealed that the suspect, Zubairu, admitted to working as an informant for the bandit kingpin, Dankarami Gwaska by monitoring activities at police stations.
“Two handsets containing bandits’ telephone numbers were recovered from her.”
Similarly, the Police Tactical Operatives attached to 34 PMF, on July 28, repelled an attack on some Muslim faithfuls during Jumma’at prayers at Kwarta village of Magarya district, adding that the terrorists escaped into the bush during the encounter.
The operatives, who were deployed to the Magarya community, said it acted on an intelligence report.
Items recovered include: “Two AK47 rifles, four rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and Bajaj motorcycle were recovered at the scene while the command is still pursuing the suspects with a view to arresting and prosecuting them.
The Command also apprehended a notorious kidnapper, Lawali Danhajiya, known for abducting people in Gusau town, the capital of Zamfara state. Abubakar said that the suspected kidnapper had been terrorising the Saminaka area in Gusau town.
He added: “In the course of the investigation, one Mika’ilu Ibrahim “M” of Saminaka clearly identified the suspect as one of the bandits that kidnapped him sometime in March 2023 at his residence in Saminaka area.
“Another victim named Aina’u Aliyu “F” of Saminaka area also identified the suspect as the one who kidnapped her on 22nd June 2023”.
He stressed that the suspect will be charged to court once the investigation is completed.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M