Nigerian police arrested 32 terror suspects and recovered 19 AK-47 rifles and ammunition
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force Special Tactical Squad have arrested 32 suspects for their complicity in the crimes of kidnapping, armed robbery, arms smuggling, illegal possession of weapons, trading in illicit drugs, trans-border car theft, rape, amongst others.
Force Public Relations Officer, CP Frank Mba disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday.
He said the Police recovered 19 AK-47 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 and 17 stolen cars from the criminals during the follow-up investigations.
According to the CP, “Notable amongst the cases is the arrest of six (6) notorious criminals involved in car theft in different parts of the country particularly Nasarawa, Port-Harcourt, FCT, Kebbi and Zamfara. These suspects smuggle the stolen cars through our international borders and deliver same to a major criminal receiver called Alhaji Garuba (still at large) in Niger Republic.
Investigations revealed that the modus operandi of the suspects include snatching the cars at gun point and sometimes removing the cars from where parked especially crowded car parks like the Cinema, Church and Mosque.
These cars are sold in neighbouring countries at give-away prices and sometimes delivered to Alhaji Garuba in exchange for illicit weapons.
The INTERPOL unit of the Nigeria Police is already working with their counterparts in Niger Republic to arrest the fleeing suspects in order to bring them to book.
Secondly, is the arrest of one 27yrs-old Dayyabu Mohammed of Soba LGA of Kaduna State for illegal possession of five (5) AK47 rifles and 250 rounds of AK47 ammunition. The suspect was arrested during a crackdown on bandits at Saminaka Forest in kaduna State by operatives of STS.
Investigation shows that Dayyabu Mohammed is an arms supplier to two (2) identified and wanted bandits in the North West and North Central parts of the country. The two bandit kingpins are 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.
Investigations by the Police team revealed 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 will revert to him on completion of five successful arms delivery missions.
Also is the arrest of the perpetrators of a recent deadly attack on travellers in the Tafa axis of the Kaduna – Abuja highway where two (2) women and their husbands were abducted by the criminals into the forest.
The operatives of the Special Tactical Squad deployed to that area were quickly mobilised and went after the suspects to rescue the victims.
The Police operatives eventually identified the hideout of the criminals, launched a rescue mission and successfully rescued the hostages, including the women, unhurt.
Source: Punch NG
