By Adam Muh’h Sanusi, Gusau
HOTPEN – The Zamfara Police Command has arrested Seven (7) Suspects for offences related to Banditry, Arms Supply, Intimidation to wit Extortion and rescued 15 Kidnapped Victims After Spending 50 Days in Captivity.
The command spokes person SP Muhammad Shehu has said while parading the suspects to newsmen at the command headquarters in Gusau Thursday.
According to him, six suspects were apprehended involved in criminal conspiracy, intimidation to wit extortion.
The suspects are, Jamilu Mohammed of Gadar Manya village, Zayyanu Barmo of Manya Babba village, Abubakar Usman of Mandau Village, Lauwali Girkau of Girkau village, Sala Girkau of Girkau village and Abubakar Yahaya of Tungar Mani Village
“The six Suspects who pretend as bandits to place levies on their host communities in which they collected millions of Naira through a bank account they created for this purpose”.
“after interrogation, all the suspects confessed to their crimes and futher stated that part of the activities was to send threatening message to the villages to either pay money or face attack and also they confessed of receiving millions of Naira from five different communities”.
Discreet investigation is ongoing aimed at apprehending other suspects that involve in this crime.
The command had also arrested middle age nursing woman suspect, Gaje Abdullahi, a gun runner of Madachi village in Katsina state in connection with transporting arms and ammunition to a notorious bandit kingpin called Dawa who terrorized Zamfara and Katsina states.
However, the woman in an interview with newsmen confessed to the crime, saying she was forced by Dawa to the act in fear of attacking her as they did to her husband and killed him.
He opined that the police Tactical Operatives in collaboration with Vigilante acted on intelligence information regarding the abduction of 15 victims by bandits terrorist at Dike village in Funtua LGA of Katsina State.
“The Police operatives on receiving the intelligence information mobilized to the location and conducted search and rescue operation at sabon garin Dustin Kaura forest in Danjibga district of Tsafe LGa which led to the rescue of the victims hale and hearty”.
She assured that the command will continue to rid the state of criminal activities and apprehend criminal elements committing heinous crimes across the state.