The Zamfara State police have arrested seven serving military officers for allegedly supporting banditry activities in the state.
Sources gathered the military personnel were supplying bandits with logistics and information.
This was made known by the commissioner for information, Hon. Ibrahim Magaji Dosara while addressing journalists at the state ministry of information in Gusau, the state capital.
Ibrahim Magaji Dosara said that the police had informed the government that the seven military men have been sabotaging the present administration’s peace accord and reconciliation program.
According to the Dosara, the police’s information revealed the police arrested the logistics’ suppliers and the bandits with enough exhibits capable of dealing with them by the land laws.
The commissioner added the suspects had been interrogated by the police and has made confessional statements on their respective crimes.
Speaking further, the commissioner explained that one of the suspects was caught in possession of 20 rounds of 62mm of live ammunition at a point of handing over to the buyer, one Kabiru Bashiru of Maniya village, a suspected active bandit, having received an advance payment of N100,000
He added the second suspect from Sokoto State was caught by detectives supplying military uniforms and kits to suspected bandits. Nine military bulletproof, four sets of military camouflage uniforms, five military hand globes, 2 First bank ATM, 1 Nigeria Army ID Card and one Samsung Android handset.
“In a related development, a team of policemen attached to Serious Crime Unit (SCU), while acting on intelligence and credibly information, on 1st of April, 2021, intercepted two suspects from Zurmi and Shinkafi Local Government Areas of the state allegedly supplying bandits with ammunitions and military camouflage from Lagos.
The commissioner said on the 31st of March, 2021, another team of policemen on patrol along Wanke – Dansadau road arrested another suspect from the Rukuja area of Musawa Local Government Area of Katsina state, stressing that in the course of interrogation, the suspect was discovered to be from one of the hideouts in the forest of Dansandau, pointing out that while searching through his handset, where they found the suspect’s picture holding an AK47 rifle and other sophisticated weapons belonging to him.
According to the commissioner, the fifth suspect from Kamarwa village of Sokoto State, who is a medical doctor, was arrested by operation Puff Adder policemen for allegedly supplying military kits to suspected bandits within the Shinkafi axis on the 4th of April, saying that ten pairs of military jungle boots, five sets of shingers and military hand globes were recovered from the suspect.
Dosara further explained that another suspect on the 4th of April, 2021, was caught by a team of policemen attached to the Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU) (Base 18 Gusau in possession of two locally made guns, 12 live cartridges, a bunch of charms and cash amounting to N523,000.
