The police in Zamfara State have arrested a truck loaded with foodstuff being conveyed to bandits operating in Dangulbi area of Maru local government area of the state.
In a statement signed by the public relations officer of the state police command, SP Mohammed Shehu on Wednesday, the police said it also arrested eight bandits’ informants and recovered four rifles, 250 rounds of AK 47 live ammunition and nine rustled cows.
The truck was impounded and the driver arrested, while taking foodstuff to bandits that have been terrorising Maru, Anka and Gusau areas from the Dangulbi – Magami forest.
“Hard drugs that include, penta injection, tramadol tabs, chloroquine injection, exzol tabs, and cartons of beer were also found in the truck. There were also two sets of wrappers,” the police spokesperson said.
Shehu further said the bandits’ informants were arrested in separate operations across the state.
He said two suspects, Hauwa Usman and Aliyu Mamuda, were arrested in Munhaye forest in Tsafe and they confessed to be providing foodstuff to bandits operating in the forest, while the remaining bandits’ informants were arrested in communities in Gusau and Maru local government areas.
According to him, two suspects, Musa Umar and Idris Yaro were arrested with nine rustled cows along Magami and Wanke road in Gusau area.
“On 10th October, 2022 police detectives attached to anti-violence section, Zamfara State Command while on patrol along Gusau-Wanke road, acted on intelligence information and arrested the above named suspects while conveying nine rustled cows in a truck. In the course of interrogation, the suspects could not give satisfactory account of the cows; or present documents that will legitimise their ownership of the cows. Discreet investigation is in progress,” he said.
Meanwhile, a bandits attack was also repelled by the police in Tsafe, Bukkuyum and Shinkafi local government areas of the state.
“Police Tactical Operatives of the Command while on rigorous patrol in some trouble locations in Tsafe, Bukkuyum and Shinkafi LGAs received series of distress calls from communities on plan by bandits to attack their villages. In response to the distress calls, the operatives succeeded in repelling most of the planned attacks where serious exchange of fire between the bandits and the police operatives ensued, forcing the bandits to flee with possible gunshot wounds sustained. In the course of search at the scene, the above mentioned arms and other exhibits belonging to the bandits were recovered.
“Exhibits recovered were one (1) AK 49 rifle, two (2) AK47 rifles, one (1) lar rifle, one (1) cutlass & bunch of charms. Normalcy had since been restored in the areas, while confidence building patrol is being sustained,” Shehu added.
