The Katsina State Police Command has arrested 19 suspects in connection with arms and ammunition supply, kidnapping, and banditry in Katsina and other neighboring states.
Briefing journalists on Monday at the Command Headquarters in Katsina, the Commissioner of Police, Sanusi Buba revealed that the police operatives have been following one Lawal Zayyana of Muduru village, in Mani Local Government Area of the state.
The 35-year-old Zayyana is said to be a notorious bandit and supplier of arms and ammunition to bandits in the forest.
In the process, two General Purpose Machine Guns, one LAR Rifle and 179 Anti-Aircraft Ammunition were recovered.
The police commissioner said the suspect was trailed and arrested alongside his cohorts; Haruna Yusuf of Sawarya village, Kaita LGA, Haruna Adamu, and Auwal Abubakar, both of Maduru village, Mani LGA of the state.
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“Consequently, Haruna Yusuf confessed to being the gang leader as he usually received the supply of arms and ammunition from Niger Republic and hands over to Lawan Zayyana, Haruna Adamu, and Auwal Abubakar who will, in turn, take the supply to bandits in the forest,” he said.
“He confessed to having sold over ten thousand arms and ammunition to bandits in the forest. Furthermore, Haruna Adamu and Auwal Abubakar confessed to having severally trafficked these arms and ammunition to bandits at Gurbi and Dan-Magaji areas in Zamfara state.
“Two (2) General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), One (1) LAR rifle and one hundred and seventy-nine (179) Anti-Aircraft (AA) ammunition, the sum of three million, four hundred and thirteen thousand and five hundred (3,413,500) West African – CFA Franc were recovered in their possession.
“The following suspected bandits including two biological sons of Haruna Yusuf, the notorious arms dealer were arrested in his house: The list is as follows: Ibrahim Salisu, ‘m’, aged 20yrs of Sawarya village, Kaita LGA of Katsina state – Son to the arms dealer,” the police spokesman stated.
