This is contained in a statement by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Muhammad Shehu, on Thursday in Gusau.
Shehu also said that police operatives of the command repelled the bandits’ attack and recovered two AK 47 Rifles, 104 rounds of live ammunition and two magazines and charms.
“On Jan. 1, police tactical operatives while on confidence building patrol along Gusau-Magami-Dansadau road, received a distress call about plans by bandits to block the road and attack commuters and by extension some villages.
“The police operatives mobilised to the locations and engaged the bandits in a gun battle.
“One of the bandits was neutralised and the attack was repelled due to the superior firepower of the police operatives and they retreated to the forest with possible gunshot wounds”, he said.
He said police tactical operatives while on confidence-building patrol, stop and search acted on intelligence information that led to the arrest of two suspects for alleged kidnapping and cattle rustling.
“In the course of interrogation, the suspects confessed to being into kidnapping and cattle rustling in Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states.
“The suspects further confessed that they belong to the gang of popular bandit’s kingpin, Bello Turji.
“On Jan.1 at about 1330hours, police tactical operatives while on confidence building patrol/stop and search arrested a gang member of bandit’s kingpin popularly known as Halilu Kachall,“he said.
“On Jan. 2, at about 1215 hours, police tactical operatives deployed along Gusau -Tsafe road on rigorous patrol arrested other suspected bandits.
“In the course of the investigation, the suspect confessed that they belong to a gang of bandits operating in Mada, Wonaka, Yandoto, and Tsafe under their gang commander, Malam Tukur,” he said.
He said that on Jan. 3, police operatives also arrested a notorious bandit“s informant who gives information to bandits operating in Kaura Namoda, Birnin Magaji, Zurmi and Shinkafi Local government area of the state.
The spokesman said that the suspects who are in police custody would be charged to court at the conclusion of the investigation.
NAN
