The Zamfara State Police Command has arrested a 39-year-old notorious armed bandit popularly called Umar NaMaro and recovered one AK47, a Lar rifle and 174 rounds of live ammunition in the state.
Also, the Command has arrested eight informants who supply arms/ammunition, foodstuff, motorcycles, military uniforms and deliver ransom to bandits in the state.
Parading the suspect at the Police headquarters in Gusau on Saturday, the Command Public Relations Officer, SP Mohammed Shehu, said Commissioner of Police, CP Kolo Yusuf, has reiterated the determination to keep on doing everything within the ambit of the law to end the lingering insecurity bedevilling state.
He disclosed that CP Kolo in his untiring commitment to rid Zamfara State of criminal activities ranging from armed banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling and other related crimes was in line with the mission and vision of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba.
“On 12th September 2022, the suspects arrested are members of a notorious syndicate of informants who collaborate with bandits to terrorize peace-loving people of Gusau, K/Namoda, Tsafe, Bungudu LGAs and environs.
“The nefarious activities of this syndicate group were given information to bandits to make it easier for them to attack communities and kidnap people for ransom.
“It was equally part of their activities to collect millions of Naira to source for arms/ammunition and military camouflage uniforms for the bandits.”
He revealed that their recent dirty business was when one of the suspects Abubakar Mainasara A.K.A Major in his statement to the police confessed to collecting N850,000 from the bandits to source military camouflage uniforms for them.
He said Babangida A.K.A Major, connived with one of their collaborators, a tailor, one Jamilu Lawali ‘M’ of Gusau to source and sew the uniforms which in the end was delivered to the bandits.
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“The same suspect further confessed to collecting the sum of Two Million Naira (N2,000,000) from bandits to supply arms and ammunition for them, even though, two of his accomplices Lawal Ibrahim ‘M’ and Surajo Idris ‘M’ confirmed to the Police that the money given to the suspect was Six Million Naira (N6,000,000) for the arms deal consignment and not N2,000,000 naira.
“The sum of One Million Naira (N1,000,000) was given to same Babangida Soja ‘M’, who in turn gave only Sixty Thousand Naira (N60,000) to Jamilu Lawali ‘M’, (Tailor) for the supply of the ammunition who at the end supplied Ten (10) rounds of AK-47 live ammunition which was handed over to Bandits through Babangida Soja and Abubakar Mainasara.”
Also “On 16th September 2022 at about 1400hrs, Police Tactical Operatives of the Command while on surveillance patrol along Gusau – Kotor Koshi – Mada axis, intercepted the notorious armed bandit Umar NaMaro.
“In the course of interrogation, the suspect confessed to being one of the notorious bandits terrorizing Mada and Kotor Koshi with banditry attacks, kidnapping, cattle rustling and other heinous crimes.”
During an on-the-spot search, one AK-49 and one Lar rifle and 174 round of live ammunition was recovered in his possession.
He said the suspect had made important revelations that would assist the Police in their investigation.
According to him, eight suspects were arrested by the Police Tactical Operatives during intelligence-led operations conducted in some criminal hideouts in Gusau and Tsafe Local Government Area respectively.
He maintained that all the suspects will be charged to court for prosecution as soon as the investigation is completed.
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