Police recover 15 firearms, 146 rounds of ammuniton from suspects in Zamfara

The Zamfara State police command says it has arrested eight suspects for banditry-related offences, criminal conspiracy, robbery and fraud.

According to the statement in Gusau on Thursday, the Police spokesperson, SP Muhammad Shehu, said the command also recovered 15 local firearms, 146 rounds of Ak47 ammunition, dried leafs suspected to be Indian Hemp and N1 million cash as exhibits.

Shehu added that police tactical operatives on confidence-building patrol along Munhaye forest in Tsafe Local Government Area of the state acted on an intelligence report and conducted a rigorous patrol/stop and search with a view to arresting some suspected gun runners.

“The gun runners on their way to the forest to supply arms and ammunition to the bandits, after noticing police presence, abandoned the arms and ammunition and fled into the forest.

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“On 24th Jan. 2023, police detectives acted based on a complaint by one Abubakar Lawali of Talata Mafara LGA that some suspects conspired and defrauded him of N1 million by withdrawing the same from his account through a POS operator via his ATM Card.

“According to the complainant, the suspects succeeded in their action when they offered to help him to make a withdrawal when he could not make the transactions due to network problems,” Shehu said.

“They collected his ATM card and deceitfully withdrew the money from the POS operator.

“In the course of interrogation, all the arrested suspects confessed to the crime and further stated how they carried out similar fraud at different banks in Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara states respectively.

“N1 million cash belonging to the complainant and a vehicle were recovered from them as exhibits,” he added.

The Police spokesperson further said that “On 24th Jan., police detectives acted on an intelligence report and arrested some suspects who were residing in Bela village under Bungudu LGA.

“The suspects were part of a criminal syndicate that gave information to bandits and also supplied Indian Hemp and other dangerous drugs.

“Their actions have continued to aggravate attacks, kidnapping and killing of innocent people of Bungudu, Kaura Namoda and Birnin Magaji LGAs”, he explained.

“Police operatives, based on an intelligence report on Jan. 23, arrested suspected members of a criminal syndicate that have been operating in Kaduna, Zamfara and other neighbouring states.

“In the course of the police investigation, the suspects confessed that, on several occasions, they participated in kidnapping and cattle rustling.

“Also police detectives on Jan. 22 acted on a complaint from one Kasimu Abdullahi from Anka LGA, arrested some suspects for criminal conspiracy and attempted culpable homicide against the complainant.

“While the investigation was ongoing, the suspect was equally identified by the family members of late Abdullahi Nakwada Gusau for allegedly killing their father sometime in 2022.

“The investigation revealed that the suspect was among the members of the outlawed group known as “Yansakai” who have been taking laws into their hands.” (NAN)