KATSINA – A gunrunner caught in Katsina State with N3,445,000 has said he gets N100,000 commission for every AK-47 rifle he supplied bandits.
The gunrunner, who supplied guns to bandits operating and terriorising Kaduna-Abuja road, Katsina and Zamfara states, was arrested by Police operatives in Katsina State.
The spokesman of Katsina State Police Command, SP Gambo Isah, confirmed the arrests to newsmen on Friday.
SP Isah said the suspect confessed to have supplied several guns to bandits in different camps including bandits hibernating at Rijana Forest, along Kaduna-Abuja Road, Rugu/Dumburum forests of Katsina and Zamfara states, respectively.
The Police Public Relations Officer said the gang members were arrested when they took delivery of six AK-47 rifles to one notorious bandits’ leader and collected N3.4 million in return for the arms.
According to him, “On Monday, at about 1:20p.m, a team of Police Mobile Personnel on patrol along Tsaskiya-Ummadau Road, Safana LGA of Katsina State accosted four men. They are Ibrahim Abdullahi, 40; Tukur Musa, 35; Abubakar Ibrahim, 21, and Rabi’u Hamisu, 19, on motorbikes, suspected to be bandits.
“In the course of investigation, the team recovered N3, 445,000 from them; suspected to be ransom money on transit for arms deal. During the course of interrogation, the ring leader, Ibrahim Abdullahi, confessed to be a gunrunner and that they have taken six AK-47 rifles to one notorious bandits’ leader, Tukur Rabiu, alias “NASHARME”.
“Rabiu is hibernating at Rijana Forest, along Kaduna-Abuja Road and collected the said amount in return for the arms. The suspect also confessed to be a gunrunner for one Abu Rade, a notorious bandit hibernating at Rugu/Dumburum forests of Katsina and Zamfara states, respectively. He further stated that, he is being paid N100,000 as commission for each arm he supplied. He confessed to have supplied so many AK-47 rifles to different bandits’ camp in the country,” he said.
The police image-maker further said the command also succeeded in arresting four suspected informants and suppliers of necessities to bandits.
“Based on a tip-off, the command on Tuesday succeeded in arresting the following suspected informants and suppliers of necessities to bandits: Murtala Yau, Mas’udu Dayyabu, Ziyadatu Sani and Bilikisu Sani, all of Tsamiyar Jino village, Kankara LGA of the state. In the course of investigation suspects confessed to the commission of the offence,” he said.
(Vanguard)
