The Nigeria Police Force has recorded a significant operational breakthrough with the arrest of two notorious bandits and kidnapping kingpins responsible for violent crimes across Katsina, Zamfara, Niger and Kwara States.

 

 

 

A statement from the force spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said on Friday, December 19, operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID–IRT), attached to Kwara State, in a covert operation carried out in collaboration with operatives of the Kwara State Police Command, intercepted and arrested two members of the dangerous banditry and k!dnapping gang along the Komen–Masallaci axis in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.

 

 

 

 

 

Hundeyin gave the names of the suspects as Abubakar Usman, alias Siddi ‘m’ aged 26 and Shehu Mohammadu, alias Gide ‘m’ aged 30. He mentioned that both suspects were arrested in Komen–Masallaci village, Kaiama LGA of Kwara State at the time of arrest.

 

 

 

Items recovered from the suspects incude one brand new Honda Ace 125 motorcycle, red in colour, valued at N1,850,000.00, which investigations revealed was purchased with proceeds of ransom payments; N500,000.00 cash, being unspent ransom money; one AK-47 rifle with a magazine loaded with 20 rounds of live ammunition.

 

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects are members of a notorious banditry and kidnapping gang terrorising communities across Zamfara, Katsina, Niger and Kwara States. Further findings indicate that the gang also doubles as suppliers of arms and ammunition to criminal elements.

 

Both suspects are currently cooperating with investigators to enable the arrest of other members of the syndicate and recovery of additional weapons.””the statement read

 

 

Hundeyin mentioned that one of the suspects, Abubakar Usman (alias Siddi), was recently identified as the individual seen in a viral video flaunting firearms and large sums of money on social media.