The Nigerian Army says it has arrested 30 suspects in connection with the disappearance of Major-General, Muhammed Alkali (retd).
The army said the suspects were nabbed in Doi Du Community in Du District of Jos South LGA of Plateau State in the face phase of its combing operations.
Items recovered from the suspects are 3 X Locally Made Single Barrel Guns, 3 X Locally Made Pistols, 5 X 7.62 MM(SP) RDS, 30 X 9MM RDS, One Pistol Mag and an Empty Case.
Others Include 4 X Knives, One X Locally Made Sword, 3 Cutlasses, One Iron Rod, 2 pairs of boots, 3 X Vigilante ID Cards, 5 X Motor Cycles, One Tricycle, One Thousand Korean Currency Note, A Wrist Watch, One Power Bank, 25 Assorted Phones, 2 Car Keys, 2 House Keys and a Hoe.
The first phase of the operation involved combing the entire Doi Du Community in Du District of Jos South LGA of Plateau State. 30 suspects were arrested Weapons recovered from some of the suspects include, 3 X Locally Made Single Barrel Guns, 3 X Locally Made Pistols,
— Nigerian Army (@HQNigerianArmy) October 3, 2018
The arrest comes two weeks after the army began an operation to find the missing general.
The Chief of Army Staff had constituted a special task force to carry out a sting operation in continuation of the search and rescue of the general.
In a statement issued earlier, the Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Kayode Ogunsanya, dismissed reports on social media platforms claiming that 11 cars and two corpses had been recovered from the pond where the missing general’s vehicle was found on September 29.
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He said, “I wish to state unequivocally that since the commencement of the search and rescue operation as directed by Army Headquarters the following have been discovered in the abandoned mining pit filled with water.
“a. On 29 September 2018, a black Toyota Corolla car with the registration number KWARA MUN 670 AA, a customized white T-Shirt with Nigerian Army logo and the general’s name inscribed on it as well as a pair of canvass shoe belonging to the retired missing senior officer.
“b. On 2 October 2018, a white Toyota Hiace bus with registration number PLATEAU RYM 307 XA which was reported missing with the driver on 24 June 2018 and a red Rover car with registration number BAUCHI AG 645 TRR which was also allegedly reported to have been buried along with the occupants on 31 January 2013.”
Colonel Ogunsanya said the army appreciates members of the public for the interest they have shown in finding the missing retired senior officer.
He, however, urged the public to “disregard news being circulated on the social media to misinform the public about the ongoing search and rescue operations at it was the handiwork of the fifth columnists”.
The search for the retired general who went missing on September 3, 2018, and troops from the 3 Division of the Nigerian Army have been searching for him.
Colonel Ogunsanya confirmed in his statement that a cordon and search operation is ongoing in the general area of Dura-Du District in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
“The aim of the operation is to find the retired missing senior officer either dead or alive. This will enable his family to reunite with him if found alive or for the family and Nigerian Army to give him a befitting military burial if he is dead,” he added.
The army called on “the entire good and peace loving people of Plateau State and most importantly the people of Dura–Du District to come forward and give credible information about the whereabouts of the missing retired senior officer”.
