Police arrest 48 criminals, recover N490m, 34 cars
Police in Minna, Niger State, yesterday paraded 48 suspected criminals comprising cattle rustlers, kidnappers, car snatchers and armed robbers.
Parading the suspects at the state Bosso Police Divisional Headquarters in Minna, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), CSP Jimoh Moshood, said the arrests were made in Niger, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Zamfara states as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by the Special Tactical Squad.
He said: “It is important to let you know that these suspects were arrested based on the innovations introduced into the ‘operation absolute sanity’ to ensure that criminals operating in these areas are rooted out.
“And these are categories of criminals that have been terrorising this region, robbing and killing innocent people.”
Moshood said the police recovered 34 vehicles, five Plasma TV sets, five AK47 rifles, three pump action guns, three SMG rifles, two locally-made pistols and seven vehicle tracker demobilizers from the suspects.
According to him, others are 422 rounds of live ammunition, four live cartridges, one revolver pistol, 68 9MM ammunition as well as fake dollars valued at N490 million.
The FPRO noted that the suspects robbed some of their victims at gunpoint while others were maimed, raped or even killed.
Moshood said the suspects had confessed to committing the offence, adding that they would be charged to court upon completion of investigation.
He commended the efforts of communities in providing the police with useful information that led to the successes recorded in the fight against crime.
One of the gang leaders, who received stolen cars, 63-year-old Isah Saidu Maiturare, from Paiko, told journalists that he had received over 40 cars.
Maiturare said he did not regret his action but knew he would die soon.
He added that he was formerly into kidnapping before he retired and went into receiving stolen cars.
The FPRO reminded the general public that the 21 days ultimatum for the submission of prohibited firearms would lapse on March 14 after which the police would enforce the prohibition order.
