By Ad Hassan, Sokoto
THE Sokoto state police command has killed two notorious kidnap, cattle rustling and armed robbery suspects including a ward head of Gidan Bunu village in Rabah LG and arrested 19 others including a female in villages across Goronyo, Rabah and Illela local governments axis of the state.
Items recovered from the suspects include 251 stolen sheep, 69 cows, 29 camels, 98 assorted blankets and 7 wrappers.
The deceased ward head, Alhaji Adduwa was the group armourer who engaged the police in a shoot out
and got killed while attempting to escape.
The other deceased suspect, Aliyu Abdullahi who also made efforts to escape at Gawon Fulani village in Rabah LG and later gave up at the hospital.
Briefing reporters yesterday in Sokoto, spokesperson of the command, DSP Cordelia Nwawe while parading the suspects,
the command recovered AK47 and AK49 guns, 3,995 live ammunitions, rifles, arrows among other dangerous weapons in the possession of the suspects.
She explained that the deceased ward head gave up at the hospital while receiving treatment from gun shots sustained during the gun battle with the police tactical operations team.
” Abdullahi was arrested at Gawon Fulani village in possession of AK47 rifle loaded with 30 rounds of live ammunition and extra magazine and got arrested while attempting to escape and eventually died”, She said.
Nwawe who also confirmed the arrest of a gun runner Lawali Aliyu at Araba village of Illela LG in Sokoto state which borders Nigeria and Niger republic.
The suspect She explained was in possession of AK47 while trying to smuggle it to Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi states fro distribution to members of his gang.
” He confessed receiving the arms from one Dankani a.k.a America to deliver to one Ramatu Muhammad of Tursa village in Rabah LG. He gets his stock directly from one Ibrahim Galmi in Niger republic and have been involved in a number of kidnapping and robbery operations.
” Ramatu is an elderly woman who is the custodian of all arms used by the gang.”
Accordingly, the command’s image maker who said Madugu Haruna was also arrested for being incharge of transportation by giving out his bike to late Adduwa to move with the products.
However Nwawe said the command remain resolute and combat ready against crime and criminals adding” we will continue to make Sokoto difficult for criminals to find comfort for their operations.”