The Zamfara State Police Command said its officers subdued a bandit and arrested six suspects for alleged banditry, kidnapping and cattle rustling.
This is contained in a statement by the command police public relations officer, Muhammad Shehu, on Thursday in Gusau.
Shehu also said that the commando’s police operatives repelled the bandit attack and recovered two AK 47 rifles, 104 rounds of live ammunition and two magazines and amulets.
“On January 1, police tactical officers, while on confidence-building patrol along the Gusau-Magami-Dansadau highway, received a distress call about bandits’ plans to block the highway and attack travelers and , by extension, to some villages.
“Police agents mobilized to the places and confronted the bandits in a shootout.
“One of the bandits was neutralized and the attack was repelled by the fire superiority of the police officers and they withdrew into the forest with possible bullet wounds,” he said.
He said police tactical operatives while on confidence-building patrol, stop-and-frisk acted on intelligence information that led to the arrest of two suspects for alleged kidnapping and cattle rustling.
“During interrogation, the suspects confessed to being involved in kidnapping and cattle rustling in the states of Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger.
“The suspects also confessed that they belong to the gang of the boss of popular bandits, Bello Turji.
“On January 1, around 1:30 p.m., police tactical officers, while patrolling/stop and search to build confidence, arrested a bandit kingpin gang member popularly known as Halilu Kachall,” he said.
“On January 2, at around 12:15 p.m., police tactical officers deployed along the Gusau-Tsafe highway on tight patrol arrested other suspected bandits.
“In the course of the investigation, the suspect confessed that he belongs to a bandit gang that operates in Mada, Wonaka, Yandoto and Tsafe under the command of gang commander Malam Tukur,” it said.
He said that on January 3, police officers also arrested a notorious bandit informer who provides information to bandits operating in the Kaura Namoda, Birnin Magaji, Zurmi and Shinkafi local government area of the state.
The spokesman said the suspects who are in police custody will be charged in court when the investigation is concluded.
YAYA
