…Recover 14-AK47 rifles, 27 other prohibited firearms, 4 POS machines, others
Nigeria’s ‘Operation Puff Adder II’, inaugurated by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Muhammad Adamu on 15th February, 2021, in collaboration with operatives of the FIB Intelligence Response Team and Special Tactical Squad of the Force, have arrested 48 criminal suspects (47 male and one female).
A statement by the spokesperson of the Force Headquarters, CP Frank Mba on Thursday, said the suspects were arrested for their indictment in cases of armed robbery, kidnapping, unlawful possession of firearms, cybercrime/ financial fraud and other heinous crimes in some parts of the country.
Items recovered, according to Mba, are “41 prohibited firearms, including 14 AK47 rifles, 10 AK47 magazines, 58 live cartridges, four AK47 live ammunition, four POS machines, two laptop computers, 18 mobile phones, Internet Modem and nine ATM cards.”
He added that the notable among the nine criminal suspects were responsible for the kidnap of Mohammed Bashir Bape, Member, Taraba State House of Assembly in December, 2020.
“The suspects were apprehended at their various hideouts in Taraba and Plateau states following an intense search by the Police team for the perpetrators of the crime and follow-up on recent spike in Kidnapping/armed robbery in Taraba and the North-Central States of the Country.
They are Yusuf Abubakar, 31 years native of Jalingo local government area of Taraba state; Muntari Umar, 27 years native of Mayo Belwa local government area of Adamawa state; Ahmadu Dahiru, 28 years native of Lau local government area of Taraba state and Ali Alhaji Wurungo, 25 years native of Lau local government area of Taraba state.
Others are Buhari Nuhu, 25 years native of Jalingo local government area; Mohammad Garba, 30 years native of Mararaban Gasol, Taraba state; Yusuf Jibrillah, 23 years native of Mararaban Gasol, Taraba state; Adamu Ahmadu aka Bulala, 32 years native of Taraba state and one Idi Suleiman.
Investigations by the Police team revealed that the suspects are members of a notorious armed robbery/ kidnapping syndicate that specializes in terrorizing innocent citizens in the North-Central/North East States particularly in Plateau and Taraba States.
“Police investigations have uncovered the roles played by each member of the gang during the kidnap of the member. Investigations also established how the proceeds of the crime (ransom) were shared among the suspects.
“The Police operatives also arrested a 12-man cybercrime syndicate for internet fraud and other cyber-related offences. The suspects, with their ages within the range of 22 and 30, were arrested at a residence in Kubwa area of the Federal capital Territory (FCT), Abuja following intelligence received by the Police.
“Similarly, the Police team busted a 2-man gang of a 61-year-old physically challenged man, Musa Usman from Kebbi state, who resides in Anambra state and one Ahmed Shuaibu, 27 years native of Nasarawa state, for complicity in the distribution and sale of illicit/ dangerous drugs to bandits in their camps at Babuga, Nasarawa state.
“The physically challenged man has been taking advantage of his physical state to evade police attention until his eventual arrest. Thirty-five wraps of substance suspected to be cocaine, were recovered from the suspects,” the statement reads.
IGP Adamu noted that the Operation Puff Adder II is already yielding results barely 10 days after it was inaugurated.
He assured that the Force is committed to re-dominate and reclaimed the public space from criminals that were hell bent on threatening the internal security order of the country and bringing such suspects to justice.
