Security Forces in Zamfara State have repelled bandits’ attack on villages in two local government areas of the state through a fierce gun battle that forced the hoodlums to retreat into the forest, abandoning two AK-47 rifles with 104 rounds of live ammunition.
Ten suspects, whose activities were practically in aid of banditry in Zamfara State, have been arrested.
Police Tactical operatives of the command, while on confidence building patrol along Zurmi and Shinkafi LGAs on December 5, received a distress call that bandits were planning to attack some villages in the two LGAs (Zurmi and Shinkafi
SP Mohammed Shehu, Zamfara Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), disclosed in a press release that, “The Police operatives mobilized to the locations and engaged the bandits in a serious gun battle that lasted for hours. Luckily, the bandits were repelled by the superior fire power of the Police operatives, forcing them to retreat into the forest with possible gun shot wounds. Two AK-47 rifles and 104 rounds of live ammunition, belonging to the bandits, were recovered at the scene”.
The ten alleged bandits’ conspirators, comprised seven suppliers of hard drugs and dried leaves suspected to Indian hemp to bandits: They were arrested in two separate operations by the Police Tactical operatives.
According to the PPRO, the first syndicate of two, Murtala Dahiru 25, and Sani Mohammed, 39, both indigenes of Zamfara, were arrested at about 12:00pm on December 7, Policemen on Intelligence information “while transporting a large quantity of dried leaf suspected to be Indian hemp all the way from Lagos to Shinkafi in Zamfara State.
“In the course of investigation, the suspects confessed to several supply of hard drugs and other substances to the bandits operating in Shinkafi and Zurmi axis of the state”, the Police spokesman said.
Another set of four culprits in that category were nabbed, based on credible information, at about 1:30pm on December 8, during a stop-and-search operation.
The suspects were traveling from Lagos to Zamfara in an 18-seater Toyota bus with a large quantity of dried leaf suspected to be Indian hemp, to be delivered at Kaura Namoda in Zamfara State.
The consignment was meant for bandits operating in a forest under Shinkafi LGA of the state, the suspects, Lawali Salisu, 35, Bello Mohammed, 34; Saying Mohammed, 28, and Aliyu Yahaya, 27 disclosed during interrogation.
In another development, three suspects, two of whom collaborated with bandits to impose levies on residents of Kwarya Tsugunne and Yanbuki villages in Maru and Zurmi LGAs and deliver to the bandits, were busted.
These include 75-year-Abubakar Idaho of Kwarya Tsugunne village in Maru LGA. and Almustapha Dahiru, 69, of Yanbuki village in Zurmi LGA,
“The suspects, during interrogation, confessed that, on several occasions, they imposed levies running into millions on villagers and delivered same to bandits while they got their percentage. They further confessed that, they recently imposed and collected levy of One Million, Two Hundred Thousand Naira from Kwarya Tsugunne Village”, the PPRO revealed.
The third suspect, Mohammed Sani Jibrin of Kekun Waje Village in Bungudu LGA. was arrested for allegedly divulging information on operational activities of security agencies and vigilante to bandits.
The PPRO stated that discreet investigations on all the suspects were in progress, adding that, “they will all be charged to court on completion of investigations”.