By Suleiman Adamu, Sokoto
The Sokoto state Police Command says it has arrested no fewer than 8 banditry, kidnapping and robbery suspects in the last one month.
It also confirmed the recovery of 3 AK-47 rifles, a locally made gun, ammunitions and other dangerous weapons recovered from political parties offices in the separate operations carried out leading to the arrests.
Parading the suspects Tuesday in Sokoto , the state Police Commissioner, Mr Muhammed Usaini Gumel said the arrests and recoveries were made in Gwadabawa, Isa, Wamakko and Sokoto south local government areas.
He said operatives of the command arrested one Abdullahi Bello who in collaboration with Ibrahim and Aliyu all of T/Kwangi village carried out banditry in a community in Gwadabawa local government and recovered from him an AK-47 rifle.
Accordingly Gumel said one Mohammed Umar of Bado Quarters , Sokoto who stole a Toyota car and fled away was sighted and arrested in Bakori, Katsina state.
” The opportunist criminal with two other accomplices , Bilya Umar Kurna and one other were also trialed and arrested Kano with stolen Toyota and Carina vehicles.”
In the same vein, the police Boss in the state disclosed that the command upon receiving complaint from Suleiman Musa that some persons conspired and kidnapped his son for a ransom of N4 million, the police swung into action and subsequently arrested one Haliru Usman with his accomplices , Abdullahi Umar and Farouk Usman both indigenes of Plateau and Sokoto states respectively.
According to Gumel” the trio had been arrested and the sum of N2.5 million recovered out of the N4 million paid as ransom by the father of the kidnapped child. The most amazing and shocking aspect of it is that the prime suspect is a neighbour to the father of the kidnapped child”, he said.
Similarly, the command said one Abubakar Bello and one Suleiman were nabbed at Hubbare Mosque area in Sokoto south for criminal conspiracy, thuggery and engaging in violent act of disturbance along side other miscreants.
Hitherto, Gumel said it has recovered a stolen Toyota Pontiac Vibe vehicle belonging to one Professor.
” The owner reported that the vehicle was stolen along Ali Akilu road , Sokoto mosque while he was performing prayer. The suspect who was sighted to be a strange person in the vehicle by someone who reported to the police, abandoned the vehicle and fled away upon sighting the police trailing him.”
Also, Gumel said a locally made gun with other dangerous weapons were recovered by men of the command upon a raid carried out at surroundings of political parties secretariat in Isa local government of the state.
According to Gumel who suspected that the weapons were being stored by thugs ahead of political campaigns said no arrest was made.
He warned that the police was not ready to compromise its mandate at ensuring peaceful electioneering process with a view to protecting lives and property of the public from all kinda of destruction or violent acts. We won’t allow blood letting.”
He raised the confidence of the public in the police while pointing out that the recently improved friendly environment that prompted peaceful conduct of socio-economic activities within the business circles in Sokoto metropolis and environs were sequel to the proactive measures and routine operational strategies of the command hence urged the public to sustain the bond of cooperation and support to the police for a crime free Sokoto state.
