From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have announced the arrest of a wanted informant and logistics supplier to a kidnapping and banditry group terrorising the peace FCT and its environs.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, who made the disclosure, said the suspect Mohammed Hamza, a.k.a Auta, 25, who had been on the wanted list of the command, was arrested by men of the anti-kidnapping unit at Mongoro Forest.
She listed items recovered from the suspect at the time of his arrest to include one AK47 rifle, AK47 ammunition, one mobile phone, foodstuffs and an unregistered boxer motorcycle.
Adeh, in a statement, said the command also arrested 11 other suspects for being in possession of illegal firearms, illegal fabrication and production of small arms and light weapons, armed robbery, amongst other crimes.
The suspects Daniel Williams, 51; Mohammed Yusuf, 41; Abdulrasheed Abdullahi, 26, and Aminu Mohammed, 41 were intercepted and arrested in the Zuba area of the FCT by operatives of the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB).
Adeh, in the statement, said: “Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have arrested a wanted logistics supplier and informant to a kidnapping and banditry group terrorising the FCT and its environs. The suspect, one Mohammed Hamza, a.k.a Auta ‘m’ 25 years old, was arrested by the anti-kidnapping unit of the command at the Mongoro Forest.
The suspect, who has been on the wanted list of the command, was being held for his involvement in supplying firearms, ammunition and other weapons; food items and illicit drugs to the criminals in their various hideouts in the forests using a motorcycle. Exhibits recovered from the suspect include one AK47 rifle, AK47 ammunition, one mobile phone, foodstuffs and an unregistered boxer motorcycle.
Investigations were being intensified to identify and cut off the criminal supply chain and arrest other members of the gang.
Similarly, the command arrested 11 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.
The suspects: Daniel Williams “M,” 51 years, Mohammed Yusuf “M,” 41 years, Abdulrasheed Abdullahi “M,” 26 years and Aminu Mohammed “M,” 41 years were intercepted and arrested in the Zuba area of the FCT by operatives of the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB).
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 07/06/2023, at about 1900hrs, following a tip-off actionable intelligence 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 are: Sani Ibrahim ‘M’ 41 years old from Gere LGA of Borno State, Yusuf Ilyasu a.k.a Tablet, an ex-convict ‘M’ 25 years old from Plateau State, Awala Lawal, an escapee from Kuje prison, ‘M’ 22 years old of Kano State; Hassan Daudo ‘M’ 34 years old from Borno State; Abbass Gidado ‘M’ 18 years old from Katsina State; Shamsu Haibu ‘M’ 35 years old from Kano, Sani Suleiman ‘M’ 37 years old from Kano State and one Shehu Jimoh and ex-convict ‘M’ 26 years old from Kogi State.
While investigation is ongoing on all cases, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Police Command, Haruna G. Garba wishes to reiterate his resolve to crush crime and criminality in all its manifestation within the FCT, as he warns all criminal elements to steer clear of the FCT and its environs.