Operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested a syndicate who specializes in the purchase and supply of AK-47 riffles to hoodlums in Taraba state.
The state Commissioner of Police, Alkasim Sanusi, paraded the suspects with eight other offenders, including suspected kidnappers, at the headquarters of the police command in Jalingo, the state capital, when he officially launched the Special Anti kidnapping squad of the state.
According to the Police boss, the special anti kidnapping squad will be reciprocated in the sixteen local government areas of Taraba in order to nip in the bud the incessant cases of kidnappings and other related crimes.
”The special anti kidnapping squad move in convoys and carry out both covert and overt operations. It is my intention to create this unit in each of the local government areas of Taraba state so that victims can report and police can take proactive measures to deal and stop any kidnapping operation that may occur.”
”It is the primary duty of the police to protect lives and property of Nigerians and in this command, we are battle-ready, no matter the price it might cost us, we will ensure that Taraba state inhabitants are protected at all cost”
Speaking on the Taraba state kidnapping and abduction prohibition amendment law 2019, that proscribes death penalty for offenders, the police commissioner reechoed the stand of the state government saying that if the kidnappers repent, and surrender their weapons, the state government is ready to grant them amnesty.
” I hope they will repent and there will be no more kidnapping in the state, my men and sister security agencies will clear this state of kidnapping and other heinous crime”
Narrating how the gun supplier and buyers were apprehended, CP Sanusi said the gun supplier usually crosses from Plateau to Taraba state, and we succeeded in arresting both of them.
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“A team of SARS operatives intercepted and arrested the gun supplier who also revealed the identity of the buyer.
“Currently, the investigation is still on to gather more information from them, which will enable us to arrest others and mop up the arms in Taraba south, perhaps used to cause civil unrest in that region”
A kidnap syndicate headed by an old man was also among the suspects paraded.
CP Sanusi said that the old man uses young boys as foot soldiers to demand ransom from his victims, by buying sim cards and destroying the same after achieving his aims.
“They will call the victims to demand ransom if they don’t want to be kidnapped”
He disclosed that one of their victims who informed the police of their activities accepted to pay the ransom of which in the process, the young boy went to pick the ransom and was arrested by the police.
” The Young boy also disclosed the identity of their leader the old man over there”
While warning those shielding criminal elements in the state to desist from such if they don’t want to be given equal treatment as criminals, he also called on victims of kidnap and law abiding citizens of the state to give useful information to the Police for proper action.
Narrating how he got the AK 47 riffle, the suspect mister Nabun Gumali from Plateau state, disclosed that his father died and left the riffle for him.
” I have no money to farm and we are indebted by the hospital where he was treated before he died, hence I decided to contact a friend telling him that my father died and left a gun buried somewhere, I don’t know if you or your people will be interested in buying it”
” He came and checked the gun, and told me that there is a willing buyer at any given time, he inserted the weapon in his vehicle and on our way to wukari local government area through Ibi local government area of Taraba state we were arrested by SARS operatives”
” My father bought the gun because he is a herder and when he was alive, there were serious armed robbery activities going on in our place that was why he bought it”
”The buyer told me that he has 200 thousand naira and I accepted because of my quest to farm. Sincerely I have never done this before, this is my first time”
For the suspected Buyer of the AK 47 Riffle mister Stephen Mark, ”someone by name Modibbo from Barkin Ladi in Plateau state often contacts me to buy these rifles, so, I buy and resell to him”
”Modibbo only calls me when he wants to come and when he goes, he switches off his phone line”
