Police Arrest 56 Bandits/Criminal/Militias Responsible for Killings/Kidnappings in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna, and Zamfara States.

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, on the 2^nd of May, 2018 paid an operational visit to Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State to assess the security situation as a result of recent killings of innocent people in the area.

The IGP during the visit approved the creation of One (1) Police Area Command and Two (2) new Divisional Headquarters.

He also ordered the immediate deployment of additional 200 Police Personnel and 10 patrol vehicles to beef-up security in Birnin-Gwari, Kaduna State to Zamfara to flush out armed bandits in the area.

The IGP consequently deployed Joint Police Special Team comprising the IGP Monitoring Unit, IGP Special Tactical Squad, The Police Special Forces and the Personnel of Kaduna State Police Command under the Supervision of Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State to embark on the operation to rout out all the armed bandits and militias responsible for the senseless killings of innocent villagers in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State and other towns and villages in Zamfara State.

This operation which is still ongoing has been yielding positive results  and culminated in the arrest of the above mention vicious armed bandits and militias terrorizing the areas from Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State to other villages and towns in Zamfara State.

Consequently, 56 suspected killers gangs, bandits, kidnappers responsible for these crimes have been arrested.

1^st Gang – Mohammed Rabiu (Gang Leader) -29Yrs, Ardo Aliyu (Principal Suspect)- 45Yrs,  Four (4) members of the gang were killed by the Police Joint Team in a shootout before the gang leader was arrested.

This gang led by Mohammed Rabiu was arrested after Four (4) members of the gang were killed by the Police Joint Team in a shootout in the forest at Bawan Daji, Anka LGA in Zamfara State.

He confessed to have been responsible for the killing of Forty Six (46) people during the burial of three (3) people that his gang killed earlier in Bawan Daji village in Zamfara State.

Seven (7) AK47 Rifles were recovered from his gang. He will be charged to court on completion of investigation.

2^nd Gang – Abdullahi Abubakar -35Yrs, Halidu Musa -34Yrs,  Mohammed Ruwa -30Yrs, Mohammed Sani -30Yrs, Dahiru Yahaya -38Yrs, Mohammed Musa -30Yrs, Samaila Umar -39Yrs, Inusa Magauri -50Yrs, Ibrahim Magaji -29Yrs, Lawal Dalha -30Yrs. 

This gang deals in Prohibited firearms and ammunition, selling arms and ammunition to the armed bandits and militia gangs operating in Birnin Gwari to Zamfara State.  

They admitted and confessed to the Police investigation team to have sold over Five (5) AK47 rifles to the armed bandits killing innocent people in the villages in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State to Zamfara State. Twenty (20) locally made AK47 rifles were recovered from them. 

3^rd Gang – Ibrahim Musa a.k.a Zage  -28Yrs  – Gang Leader, Five (5) members of the gang were killed by the Police Joint Team in a shootout before the gang leader was arrested.

This Gang led by Ibrahim Musa a.k.a Zage has been on the wanted list of the Police in Zamfara, Niger, Kogi and FCT for several kidnappings, armed robbery and Rape of their victims for some time now.

He recently kidnapped a business man and collected ransom of Ten Million Naira

(N10, 000, 000) after robbing the same victim of seven million naira (N7, 000, 000) from the victim’s car.

Some of his victims have equally identified him. Five (5) locally made AK47 Rifles were recovered from the gang.

4^th Gang- Seun Gabriel -27Yrs- Gang Leader, Lucky John -29Yrs, Danjuma Biko -32Yrs, Sedua Augustine -31Yrs, Surajo Ibrahim  -37Yrs, Samaila Adamu -25Yrs, Joseph Kakuri -31Yrs, Yusuf Mohammed -30Yrs, Buhari Auta  -27Yrs, Usman Wakili -42Yrs, Sani Dangaladima -43Yrs. 

Others are Abdullahi Abubakar -25Yrs, Abdulmalik Sani -22Yrs, Danladi Mohammed  -22Yrs, Daniel Ocheku -28Yrs, Thomas Osomigbakha -40Yrs, Zubairu Usman -32Yrs, Ayuba Yusuf -20Yrs, Nasiru Danladi -25Yrs, Abdulrashid Abdulazeez -28Yrs, Nasiru Saidu -22Yrs, Iliyasu Aliyu -49Yrs, Mohammed Mohammed -19Yrs, Umar Mohammed -18Yrs,  Mati Baso -25Yrs, Hassan Usman -32Yrs, Gado Salihu -38Yrs. 

The twenty seven (27) suspects listed above were arrested from their criminal hideouts in the Forest between Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, Niger and Zamfara States.

They belong to the groups that have been terrorizing travellers and other road users on the road between Niger, Kaduna and Zamfara State.

Eleven (11) vehicles robbed from their victims at gun points which they have converted six (6) to their operational vehicles were recovered from them. Twenty locally made AK47 rifles were also recovered from them by the Police team.

5^th Gang, Yakubu Gowon -49Yrs     (Gang Leader), John orkar   -32Yrs         (Principal Suspect), Monday okon -29Yrs    (Principal Suspect), Aminu mohammed -27Yrs, Manir abubakar -29Yrs, Haruna Adamu -26Yrs, Aliyu Zakaria -23Yrs, Dahiru Idris -30Yrs, Faruk Umar Ibrahim -35Yrs, Mohammed Tahir  -38Yrs, Nasiru Jibril -33Yrs, Bala Adamu  -32Yrs, Sani Suleiman -43Yrs, Alhaji Abba Isah -23Yrs. 

The above gang were responsible for several armed robberies and other violent crimes within Kaduna and Niger States.  

They were arrested after they robbed a resident in Minna, Niger State.  

Gold Jewelleries worth Sixteen Million Naira (N16, 000, 000) robbed from their victims was recovered from them.  

They have made useful statements to the Police and confessed to the crime. Some of their victims have equally identified them. They will be charged on completion of investigation.    

The Nigeria Police Force will continue to sustain the tempo of the fight against armed banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, car snatching, cattle rustling, unlawful possession of prohibited firearms and other violent crimes in the country and guarantee adequate protection of Lives and Property. 

ACP Jimoh Moshood

FPRO, Force Headquarters, Abuja.