Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have arrested a wanted logistic supplier and informant to a kidnapping and banditry group terrorising the FCT and its environs.
The anti-kidnapping unit of the Command arrested the suspect, one Mohammed Hamza, also known as Auta, 25, at Mongoro Forest.
According to police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, “the suspect, who has been on wanted list of the Command, is being held for his involvement in supplying firearms, ammunition and other weapons; food items and illicit drugs to criminals in their forests hideouts using a motorcycle. Exhibits recovered from the suspect include one AK47 rifle, AK47 ammunition, one mobile phone, foodstuffs and an unregistered boxer motorcycle.
“Investigations have been intensified to identify and cutoff the criminal supply chain and arrest other members of the gang.”
Adeh noted that the Command also arrested twelve criminal suspects for various crimes, including illegal possession of firearms, illegal fabrication and production of small arms and light weapons, armed robbery, amongst other crimes.
According to her, the suspects, Daniel Williams 51, Mohammed Yusuf, 41, Abdulrasheed Abdullahi, 26, and Aminu Mohammed, 41, were intercepted and arrested in Zuba area of the FCT by operatives of the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB).
She said: “Four locally made firearms and one live cartridge were recovered from the suspects. Preliminary investigations by the police revealed that the gang was involved in fabricating and producing small and light weapons locally.
“Also, the operatives of Utako Divisional Police Headquarters, on June 7, at around 07:00 p.m., following a tip-off, arrested eight suspected armed robbers at one Amala Garden in Utako. Following the arrest, three firearms of different caliber, knives and hard drugs were recovered from them.”
The suspects, according to her, are: Sani Ibrahim, 41, from Gere Council of Borno State; Yusuf Ilyasu AKA Tablet, an ex-convict, 25, from Plateau State; Awala Lawal, an escapee from Kuje prison, 22, of Kano State; Hassan Daudo, 34, from Borno State; Abbass Gidado, 18, from Katsina State; Shamsu Haibu, 35, from Kano; Sani Suleiman, 37, from Kano State and one Shehu Jimoh, an ex-convict, 26, from Kogi State.
Adeh noted that while investigation is ongoing on all cases, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Police Command, CP Haruna G. Garba, has reiterated his resolve to crush crime and criminality within the FCT, warning criminal elements to steer clear of the FCT and its environs.
She said that the CP equally enjoined the public to be law abiding, and vigilant to enable them swiftly render distress/complaints through the following emergency lines: 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653, and 08028940883, while the Public Complaint Bureau (PCB) desk could be reached on: 0902 222 2352.
