The Katsina State Police Command on Thursday paraded nine suspects, among whom were three members of a robbery gang terrorising Katsina State capital and its environs.
The three paraded members of the robbery gang were Shamsu Umar, 29; Mustafa Nuhu, 27 and Abdulsalam Sale,29, who are all residents of Katsina.
The command’s spokesman, Supritended Gambo Isah, said the trio was arrested on March, 20 while carrying out an operation at Ambassador Quarters area of the state.
The police spokesman said the trio had earlier on February 28, 2022, carried out an operation at Modoji Quarters, Katsina where they, among others, stole one Peugeot 206 car with Registration Number: ABJ 683 AE; three handsets; one LG plasma television set; N 105,000.00 cash and other valuables worth over one million naira.
The trio were also alleged to have attacked and inflicted injuries on one Mustafa Dalhat, the owner of the residence they attacked and the items stolen.
SP Isah said a team made up of the police and vigilante in the area arrested the trio.
He added that the trio had confessed to committing the crime.
Also paraded by the police on Thursday were four members of a syndicate alleged to specialize in vandalizing telecommunication mast.
The four suspects were Salisu Abubakar,20, and Jamilu Abubakar,27, both of Unguwar Waliyi, Jibia Local Government Area of the state; Najib Salisu, 20 and Salisu Badamosi, 27 whose addresses were not given.
The police on “stop and search” patrol were said to have intercepted them along Daura–Katsina road on March 16, 2022 at about 3 a.m while traveling inside a green Golf saloon car with Registration Number: 931 JST.
SP Isah said items found inside the car along with them included eight batteries, a hacksaw, industrial pliers, a cutlass, and knives.
He added that the four suspects, during investigation, allegedly confessed to have vandalized a telecommunication mast and removed items worth over one million, two hundred thousand naira.
The suspects were also alleged to have stolen three motorcycles from Nigeria and neighbouring Niger Republic before their arrest.
A 23-year-old man, Abubakar Sa’adu of Unguwar Alkali Quarters, Batsari Local Government Area was paraded for allegedly vandalizing another telecommunication mast and removed its armored cable at Unguwar Dutsin-ma two weeks ago.
A 35-year-old man said to be an informant for terrorists, Salisu Halilu of Yar Wafa village, Kurfi Local Government Area was also paraded.
The police alleged that Halilu was an informant to terrorists operating in Kurfi, Safana, and Dutsin-ma Local Government Areas of the state.
Halilu was also said to have conspired with some terrorists who are at large to rustle over one hundred cows at Dagarawa, Yar Barza, and Kudawa villages respectively.
SP Isah also revealed that police operatives on March 20, repelled a terrorist attack in Kurfi Local Government Area where they rescued a kidnap victim and recovered rustled domestic animals.
“On March 20, 2022, at about 1 a.m, terrorists in their numbers, on motorbikes, shooting sporadically with AK 47 rifles, attacked the residence of one Sada Kotoko, 70 of Unguwar Fulani, Barkiya village, Kurfi Local Government Area, kidnapped him and rustled forty of his cows. Upon receipt of the report, operatives from the command responded swiftly and engaged the bandits in a fierce gun duel, rescued the kidnap victim, and recovered all the rustled animals. Some of the bandits escaped into the forest with bullets wounds.”
The police spokesman said all the suspects would be arraigned in courts after the completion of investigation into their cases.
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