The police command in Sokoto State has neutralised one and arrested 15 kidnap-suspects, bandits and gunrunners in operations across the state.

The operations, the police said, were conducted between last November and this month.

It said two Toyota vehicles were also recovered by the command.

The operations, which led to the break-through according to the command, were carried out in communities across Gwadabawa, Wurno, Wamakko and Bodinga-Tambuwal road local government areas of the state.

Parading the suspects yesterday, the Commissioner of Police, CP Aliyu Hayatu Kaigama said they were arrested in four separate coordinated operations by the Anti-Kidnapping and Terrorism units of the command.

He said upon credible intelligence, an ambush was laid along the Bodinga-Tambuwal highway which led to the arrest of the suspects.

Kaigama said that GPMG, cartridges, several rounds of live ammunition, AK-47 rifles and handsets were recovered from the suspects who specialised in heinous crimes in the state.

“We found in their possession, three AK47 rifles with 90 rounds of live ammunition 30 from each magazine,” he said.

The police boss said that the suspects were heading to Tambuwal Town for a kidnapping mission before they were intercepted and arrested

An additional 26 rounds of live ammunition were found in the possession of one Muhammad Bello of Dingyadi Town, Bodinga Local Government Area.

Kaigama said the police team engaged suspected bandits in their numbers in a fierce gun duel and succeeded in neutralizing one of them.

He said the criminals while passing by, shot one Ibrahim Bello on the leg while he was fetching water from a well at Gigane village, Gwadabawa local government area.

“The neutralised suspect’s GPMG rifle with six live ammunition attached to the chain was recovered. We are aggressively trailing other fleeing bandits,” he said.

Kaigama also confirmed the arrest of two suspected gun runners and suppliers, Muhammadu Mode and Betuwa Dogari.

The CP said the duo were billed for Sokoto to receive delivery of 790 live ammunition for onward delivery to a notorious kidnap kingpin, Kwalle, when the operatives from the Sokoto State CID intercepted them along Gaidau Illela Road in Illela LGA.

“Kwalle who is now at large, has his criminal activities cut across Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states respectively,” Kaigama said. (The Nation)

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