“Operation Puff Adder II”: Police arrest 48 notorious criminal suspects

▪︎Recover 14-AK47 rifles, 27 other prohibited firearms, four POS machines, others

Following the flag-off of “Operation Puff Adder II” by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Abubakar Adamu, to reinvigorate the ongoing fight against violent crimes in the country and bring the perpetrators to book, operatives of the FIB Intelligence Response Team and Special Tactical Squad of the Force attached to the “Operation Puff Adder II” have arrested 48 criminal suspects.

The suspects, including 47 male and one female, were arrested for their involvement and indictment in cases of armed robbery, kidnapping, unlawful possession of firearms, cybercrime/financial fraud and other heinous crimes in some parts of the country.

They were arrested on 15th February, 2021.

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According to Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, CP Frank Mba, 41 prohibited firearms including fourteen 14 AK-47 rifles, 10 AK-47 magazines, 58 live cartridges, 4 AK-47 live ammunition, 4 POS machines, 2 laptop computers, 18 mobile phones, Internet MODEM and 9 ATM cards were recovered from the suspects in the operations.

He said among the breakthroughs, was the arrest of the 9 criminal suspects responsible for the kidnap of Honourable Mohammed Bashir Bape,
member, Taraba State House of Assembly in December, 2020.

Mba said the suspects were apprehended at their various hideouts in Taraba and Plateau States following an intense search by the Police team for the perpetrators of the crime and follow-up on recent spike in Kidnapping/armed robbery in Taraba and the North-Central States of the Country.

He said the suspects were Yusuf Abubakar (31yrs) native of Jalingo LGA Taraba state, Muntari Umar (27yrs) Native of Mayo Belwa LGA Adamawa State, Ahmadu Dahiru (28yrs), native of Lau LGA, Taraba State, Ali Alhaji Wurungo (25yrs) native of Lau LGA Taraba State, Buhari Nuhu (25yrs)native of Jalingo LGA, Mohd GARBA (30yrs) native of Mararaban Gasol, Taraba State, Yusuf Jibrillah (23yrs) native of Mararaban Gasol Taraba State, Adamu Ahmadu aka Bulala (32yrs) native of Taraba State and one Idi Suleiman.

Mba further stated that investigations by the Police team disclosed that the suspects were members of a notorious armed robbery and kidnapping syndicate that specializer in terrorizing innocent citizens in the North-Central and North East States particularly in Plateau and Taraba States.

He said police investigations uncovered the roles played by each member of the gang during the kidnap of the Honourable Member.

“Investigations also established how the proceeds of the crime (ransom) were shared among the suspects,” Mba said.

The Force Public Relations Officer said the Police operatives also arrested a 12-man cybercrime syndicate for internet fraud and other cyber-related offences.

He said the suspects,whose ages range from 22 to 30, were arrested at a residence in Kubwa area of the Federal capital Territory (FCT), Abuja following intelligence received by the Police.

Mba said the Police team also arrested a 2-man gang of a 61-year-old physically challenged man, Musa Usman from Kebbi State who resides in Anambra State and one Ahmed Shuaibu, 27years, native of Nasarawa State for complicity in the distribution and sale of illicit/dangerous drugs to bandits in their camps at Babuga, Nasarawa State.

He said the physically-challenged man had been taking advantage of his physical state to evade police attention until his eventual arrest

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Mba said 35 wraps of substance suspected to be Cocaine, were recovered
from the suspects.

He said the Inspector General of Police, while noting that the “Operation Puff Adder II” is already yielding positive results barely 10 days after it was flagged-off, assured that the Force would not relent in its commitment at re-dominating and reclaiming the public space from criminals that were hell bent on threatening the internal security order of the country and bringing such suspects to justice.