Police operatives in Katsina State have arrested gunrunners who supplied guns to bandits terriorizing the state, Kaduna, and Zamfara.
The spokesman of the state police command, SP Gambo Isah, who confirmed the development to journalists on Friday, said the police also arrested four suspected informants to the bandits.
He said the suspects confessed they supplied several guns to bandits hibernating at Rijana Forest along Kaduna – Abuja road and Rugu/Dumburum forests of Katsina and Zamfara States respectively.
Gambo said the suspects were arrested when they took six AK-47 rifles to a bandit leader and collected N3.4 million in return for the arms.
The spokesman listed the suspected gunrunners as Ibrahim Abdullahi, Tukur Musa, Abubakar Ibrahim, and Rabi’u Hamisu.
The bandits’ informants are Murtala Yau, Mas’udu Dayyabu, Ziyadatu Sani and Bilikisu Sani.
He said: “On Monday, at about 13:20hrs, a team of Police Mobile Personnel (PMF) on patrol along Tsaskiya – Ummadau road, Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State accosted four suspects – Ibrahim Abdullahi, Tukur Musa, Abubakar Ibrahim and Rabi’u Hamisu.
In the course of investigation, the team recovered the sum N3,445,000 suspected to be ransom money on transit for an arms deal.
During the course of interrogation, the ring leader, Ibrahim Abdullahi, confessed to be a gunrunner and that they have taken six AK- 47 rifles to one notorious bandits’ leader, Tukur Rabiu, alias ‘NASHARME’ hibernating at Rijana Forest, along Kaduna – Abuja road and collected the said amount in return for the arms.
Suspect also confessed to be gunrunning for one Abu Rade, a notorious bandit hibernating at Rugu/Dumburum forests of Katsina and Zamfara States respectively.
“The suspect said he is being paid the sum of N100,000 as commission for each arm he supplied. He confessed to having supplied so many AK-47 rifles to different bandits’ camps in the country.
“Based on a tip-off, the command on Tuesday also succeeded in arresting the following suspected informants and suppliers of necessities to bandits. They are – Murtala Yau, Mas’udu Dayyabu, Ziyadatu Sani and Bilikisu Sani, all of Tsamiyar Jino village, Kankara LGA of the state.
“In the course of investigation suspects confessed to the commission of the offence.”
