• Recover 19 AK47 rifles, ten other sophisticated firearms, 453 live ammunition, 17 stolen cars
OperatIves of the Nigeria Police Force Special Tactical Squad have arrested a total of thirty-two (32) notorious suspects for their complicity in the crimes of kidnapping, armed robbery, arms hsmuggling, illegal possession of weapons, trading in illicit drugs, trans-border car theft, and rape, among others.
According to Force Public Relations Officer Force Headquarters, Abuja, CP Frank Mba, the Police team equally recovered 19 AK47 rifles, one GPMG, three revolver rifles, two G-3 rifles, one SMG, one berretta pistol, 453 rounds of live ammunition of different calibre, 12 magazines and17 stolen cars from the criminals during the follow-up investigations.
Mba said notable among the cases was the arrest of six notorious criminals involved in car theft in different parts of the country, particularly Nasarawa, Port-Harcourt, FCT, Kebbi and Zamfara.
He said these suspects smuggled the stolen cars through international borders and delivered the same to a significant criminal receiver called Alhaji Garuba (still at large) in the Niger Republic.
Mba said investigations also showed that the suspects’ modus operandi included snatching the cars at gunpoint and sometimes removing the vehicles from where they parked, especially crowded car parks like the Cinemae, Churches and Mosques.
He said these cars were sold in neighbouring countries at give-away prices and sometimes delivered to Alhaji Garuba in exchange for illicit weapons.
Mba said the INTERPOL unit of the Nigeria Police was already working with their counterparts in the Niger Republic to arrest the fleeing suspects for bringing them to book.
He said one 27yrs-old Dayyabu Mohammed of Soba Local Government Area of Kaduna State was also arrested for illegal possession of five AK47 rifles and 250 rounds of AK47 ammunition.
Mba said the suspect was arrested during a crackdown on bandits at Saminaka Forest in Kaduna State by operatives of STS.
He said investigation showed that Dayyabu Mohammed was an arms supplier to two identified and wanted bandits in the North West and North Central parts of the country.
Mba said the two bandit kingpins were Yellow and Budderi.
Dayyabu Mohammed was intercepted while ferrying the weapons from Jos, Plateau State in a Golf-3 saloon car to the Bandit in their hideouts located in a forest at Birnin-Gwari, Kaduna State.
The Force Public Relations Officer added that investigations by the Police team showed that the Golf-3 saloon car was given to Dayyabu as his operational vehicle by one of the wanted bandits, with a promise that the full ownership of the vehicle would revert to him on completion of five successful arms delivery missions.
Mba further stated that the perpetrators of a recent deadly attack on travellers in the Tafa axis of the Kaduna – Abuja highway where the criminals abducted two women and their husbands into the forest was also arrested.
He said the operatives of the Special Tactical Squad deployed in that area were quickly mobilised and went after the suspects to rescue the victims.
Mba said the Police operatives eventually identified the criminals’ hideout, launched a rescue mission and successfully rescued the hostages, including the women, unhurt.
He said the operatives equally apprehended a gang of six; Mohammed Lawali, Suleiman Ibrahim, Mohammed Rebo, Bashir Audu, Monsoru Abubakar and Abubakar Hamidu, in connection with the attack on a Mosque in Mazakuka area in Mashegu Local Government Area in Niger State where18 people were reportedly killed, and more than 30 abducted.
Mba said investigations by the Police team showed that the gang leader, Mohammed lawali and some gang members were escapees from the Lokoja correctional centre.
He said Bashir Audu was arrested for his criminal role of supplying hard drugs to the gang, adding that two AK47 rifles, three fully-loaded magazines and various parcels of hard narcotics were recovered from them.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, while commending the team for the successful operations, assured the nation that the Force would continue to close up on these criminal elements who pose threats to national security.
The IGP called on members of the public who were victims of car theft to visit the STS office at Guzape, Abuja, with proof of ownership to claim the vehicles bearing in mind that the colour, interior and vehicle number plate might have been tampered with.
Mba said all the suspects would be arraigned on the completion of investigations.
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