Police Nab Bandits Seen Flaunting Guns, Cash in Viral Video

 

The Nigeria Police Force has arrested two suspected bandits and kidnapping kingpins linked to violent crimes across Katsina, Zamfara, Niger and Kwara states.

Operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT), in collaboration with the Kwara State Police Command, arrested the suspects during a covert operation at Komen-Masallaci village in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The suspects, identified as Abubakar Usman, alias Siddi ‘m’, 26, and Shehu Mohammadu, alias Gide ‘m’, 30, were described as key members of a criminal gang operating along the Komen-Masallaci axis, notorious for repeated cases of banditry and kidnapping.

Police linked Usman to a viral video in which he was seen brandishing firearms and displaying large sums of money, suspected to be ransom proceeds.

Items recovered from the suspects include a Honda Ace 125 motorcycle valued at N1.85 million, N500,000 cash believed to be unspent ransom money, and an AK-47 rifle with a loaded magazine containing 20 rounds of live ammunition.

Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were part of a notorious gang terrorising communities across Zamfara, Katsina, Niger and Kwara states, adding that the group also supplied arms and ammunition to other criminal elements.

Hundeyin disclosed that the suspects were cooperating with investigators, providing useful intelligence to track other gang members and uncover additional arms caches.

He added that nationwide operations by the police also led to the arrest of 22 other suspects for offences including armed robbery, kidnapping, cattle rustling, car snatching, impersonation, economic sabotage and drug trafficking.

According to him, the operations resulted in the recovery of six firearms, several rounds of ammunition, vehicles, motorcycles and suspected illicit drugs.

Hundeyin said investigations were ongoing and all suspects would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations, in line with the law.