The police on Monday said they have arrested 54 bandits, including their drug supplier, Samuel Chinedu, in Sokoto state.
In a press conference by the Deputy Inspector General Of Police (Operation), Zaki Ahmed, the police said 23 other bandits were killed in different operations across the state.
A total of 32 AK-47 rifles, two RPGs and one rocket launcher were recovered from the terrorists.
Mr Chinedu, the police said, was arrested at Pinnacle Hotel, while waiting to collect money of drugs he supplied to the bandits.
He told journalists that he supplied hard drugs to the bandits terrorsing the state, including Pentazocine at the cost of N18,500 before his eventual arrest.
Among the suspects paraded were Musa Kamarawa, who bought a N28.5 million gun truck for bandits’ kingpin Halilu Kachallah; and a health worker, Abubakar Hashimu Kamarawa, who treated bandit leader Bello Turji after he was wounded by soldiers.
DIG Zaki said 2,600 live ammunations, 150 cows and 16 Techno phones were also recovered from the bandits.
The police chief the bandits were among those terrorizing Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi states.
He said security operatives engaged them at their different camps scattered across three local governments Illela, Rabah and Goronyo in the state.
He said the suspects would be arraigned after investigation.
