Operatives of the Katsina State Police Command have arrested four suspected bandits during patrol along Tsaskiya-Ummadau Road, Safana LGA of the state.
The suspected bandits arrested are Ibrahim Abdullahi, 40; Tukur Musa, 35; Abubakar Ibrahim, 21, and Rabi’u Hamisu, 19.
The spokesman of the State Police Command, SP Gambo Isah, who confirmed the arrests to newsmen on Friday said team recovered N3,445,000 from them; suspected to be ransom money on transit for arms deal.
Isah said one of the ring leader, Ibrahim Abdullahi, confessed to be a gunrunner, stating that he is being paid N100,000 as commission for each arm he supplied to bandits.
According to Isah, “On Monday, at about 1:20p.m, a team of Police Mobile Personnel on patrol along Tsaskiya-Ummadau Road, Safana LGA of Katsina State accosted four men.
“They are Ibrahim Abdullahi, 40; Tukur Musa, 35; Abubakar Ibrahim, 21, and Rabi’u Hamisu, 19, on motorbikes, suspected to be bandits.
“In the course of investigation, the team recovered N3,445,000 from them; suspected to be ransom money on transit for arms deal.
“During the course of interrogation, the ring leader, Ibrahim Abdullahi, confessed to be a gunrunner and that they have taken six AK-47 rifles to one notorious bandits’ leader, Tukur Rabiu, alias “NASHARME”.
“Rabiu is hibernating at Rijana Forest, along Kaduna-Abuja Road and collected the said amount in return for the arms.
“The suspect also confessed to be a gunrunner for one Abu Rade, a notorious bandit hibernating at Rugu/Dumburum forests of Katsina and Zamfara states, respectively.
“He further stated that, he is being paid N100,000 as commission for each arm he supplied. He confessed to have supplied so many AK-47 rifles to different bandits’ camp in the country,” he said.
The police image-maker further said the command also succeeded in arresting four suspected informants and suppliers of necessities to bandits.
“Based on a tip-off, the command on Tuesday succeeded in arresting the following suspected informants and suppliers of necessities to bandits:
“Murtala Yau, Mas’udu Dayyabu, Ziyadatu Sani and Bilikisu Sani, all of Tsamiyar Jino village, Kankara LGA of the state. In the course of investigation suspects confessed to the commission of the offence.”