By Kamil Opeyemi
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police command says its operatives have arrested an alleged logistic supplier and informant to a kidnapping and banditry ring terrorising Abuja and its environs
While disclosing this in a statement on Sunday, the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Ade said the suspect, Mohammed Hamza a.k.a Auta, was arrested by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the FCT Police Command at the Mongoro Forest.
“The suspect, who has been on the wanted list of the Command, is being held for his involvement in supplying firearms, ammunition and other weapons; food items and illicit drugs to the criminals in their various hideouts in the forests using a motorcycle,” the statement read.
Exhibits recovered from the suspect include one AK47 rifle, AK47 ammunition, one mobile phone, foodstuffs and an unregistered boxer motorcycle.
Ade said the Command is intensifying its investigation to identify and cut off the criminal supply chain and arrest other members of the gang.
Similarly, the Command arrested 11 criminal suspects for various crimes including illegal possession of firearms, illegal fabrication and production of small arms and light weapons, and armed robbery, amongst other crimes.
They were arrested in Zuba area of the FCT by operatives of the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB).
The suspects were identified as Daniel Williams 51 yrs, Mohammed Yusuf 41 yrs, Abdulrasheed Abdullahi 26 yrs and Aminu Mohammed 41 yrs.
Items recovered from the suspects were four locally made firearms and one live cartridge.
“Preliminary investigations by the Police revealed that the gang was involved in fabricating and producing small and light weapons locally,” she added.
Also, the operatives of Utako Divisional Police Headquarters on June 7 arrested eight suspected armed robbers at one Amala Garden in Utako.
Upon arrest, three firearms of different calibre, knives and hard drugs were recovered from them.
The suspects were identified as Sani Ibrahim, 41 yrs old from Gere LGA of Borno State, Yusuf Ilyasu aka Tablet, an ex-convict, 25 yrs old from Plateau State, Awala Lawal an escapee from Kuje prison, 22 yrs old of Kano state, and Hassan Daudo, 34 yrs old from Borno State.