Twelve alleged bandits, political thugs, and arms traffickers have been detained by the Police Command in Zamfara.
The command also seized an AK-47 rifle, 100 live rounds of ammo, seven cartridges, a cutlass, and some items that were likely charmed from the suspects in addition to the four locally made guns.
This was confirmed on Tuesday during a news conference in Gusau by SP Muhammad Shehu, the command's Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO).
Shehu claimed that on October 15 at around 6.15 p.m., the command received a call reporting that armed political thugs in Gusau were firing randomly at unarmed civilians while brandishing sophisticated weaponry like locally-made firearms and cutlasses.
He said that one person was killed and 11 others were hurt in the incident.
According to him, the injured are still receiving treatments at Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital, Gusau.
“The command, in an effort to curtail the situation and arrest the perpetrators, reinforced its tactical operatives.
“On sighting the police operatives, the hoodlums started shooting and, thereby, putting the lives of the police operatives and innocent citizens in danger.
“The police operatives, however, acted professionally and used minimum force which led to the arrest of five suspects in possession of locally-fabricated guns, while others fled”, Shehu said.
He also confirmed that on Oct. 15 and at about 4.00 p.m., police tactical operatives, while on patrol along Tsafe – Funtua Road and acting on intelligence, intercepted two motorcycles carrying two passengers each.
“The suspects were arrested and found on them the walkie-talkie which they used to communicate with their other members during their operations.
“Intelligence about them revealed that they were among the hoodlums that used to terrorise commuters along Tsafe – Funtua Road by attacking, killing and kidnapping innocent people.
“The police also learnt that they also belong to a notorious syndicate that made life unbearable in several villages in Tsafe LGA and its environ”, the PPRO added.
Shehu added that, on Oct. 11, police tactical operatives deployed along Tsafe – Funtua Road, acting on intelligence intercepted a Golf Vehicle, dark ash in colour and driven by one Abubakar Buda, a 32-year-old native of Zuru Local Government Area of Kebbi.
“The suspect was arrested while on transit back from Jos to Kucheri in Tsafe where he was to deliver arms and ammunition to a notorious bandit leader called Chumo.
” A search was conducted on the spot, and the exhibits in his possession were recovered.
“The suspect mentioned some of his collaborators including one Bitrus Bulus, known as Peter, and one Weng Adamu, both males from Jos South LGA of Plateau, as his partners in crime.
” The same suspect also confessed to the police that he had been into arm-supply business where he often collected arms and ammunition from one James in Jos, now at large, and deliver them to the bandit leaders terrorising Tsafe – Funtua Road as well as attack villages and communities in Tsafe and Mada,” he said.