…arrest Kuje Prison Escapee, and 11 others for Armed Robbery, possession of illegal firearms

…Recover 3 AK47 rifles, 32 live ammunition, 6 locally made firearms

Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have arrested a wanted logistic supplier and informant to a kidnapping and banditry group terrorizing the FCT and its environs.

The suspect, Mohammed Hamza a.k.a Auta, 25yrs old, was arrested by the anti-Kidnapping unit of the Command at the Mongoro Forest.

Spokesperson of the command, SP Josephine Adeh said: “The suspect, who has been on the wanted list of the Command, is being held for his involvement in supplying firearms, ammunition and other weapons; food items and illicit drugs to the criminals in their various hideouts in the forests using a motorcycle”.

“Exhibits recovered from the suspect include one AK47 rifle, AK47 ammunition, one mobile phone, foodstuffs, and an unregistered boxer Motorcycle.

‘Investigations are being intensified to identify and cut off the criminal supply chain and arrest other members of the gang.

“Similarly, the Command arrested eleven (11) criminal suspects for various crimes including illegal possession of firearms, illegal fabrication and production of small arms and light weapons, and armed robbery, amongst other crimes.

“The suspects; Daniel Williams 51 yrs, Mohammed Yusuf 41 yrs, Abdulrasheed Abdullahi 26 yrs and Aminu Mohammed 41 yrs were intercepted and arrested in the Zuba area of the FCT by operatives of the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB).

“Four (4) locally made firearms and one (1) live cartridge were recovered from the suspects.

“Preliminary investigations by the Police revealed that the gang was involved in fabricating and producing small and light weapons locally.

Also the operatives of Utako Divisional Police Headquarters on 07/06/2023 at about 1900hrs following a tip-off, actionable intelligence arrested eight (8) suspected armed robbers at one Amala Garden in Utako.

Following the arrest, three firearms of different calibers, knives, and hard drugs were recovered from them.

The suspects are Sani Ibrahim, 41 yrs old from Gere LGA of  Borno State, Yusuf Ilyasu aka Tablet, an ex-convict, 25 yrs old from Plateau State,  Awala Lawal an escapee from Kuje prison, 22 yrs old from Kano state, and Hassan Daudo, 34 yrs old from Borno State.

 Others are Abbass Gidado, 18 yrs old from Katsina state, Shamsu Haibu, 35 yrs old from Kano, Sani Suleiman, 37 yrs old from Kano state and one Shehu Jimoh and ex-convict, 26 yrs old from Kogi State.

“While an investigation is ongoing on all cases, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Police Command, CP Haruna G. Garba has reiterated his resolve to crush crime and criminality in all its manifestation within the FCT, and warns all criminal elements to stay clear of the FCT and its environs,” the statement said.

‘The CP equally enjoined the public to be law-abiding.