The Kaduna State Police Command has arrested seven suspected bandits and recovered assorted firearms and live ammunition in separate intelligence-led operations across the state.
The Command said the arrests followed credible intelligence received on January 28 at about 5:45pm, indicating that a group of suspects were in possession of prohibited firearms.
Acting on the information, detectives from the Anti–Car Theft Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) swung into action and arrested five suspects identified as Yusuf Aliyu Yusuf, Ahmed Umar, Abdullahi Muhammad, Ahmad Jazuli and Muktar Bashir.
Items recovered from the suspects include one English AK-47 rifle with two fully loaded magazines, two English Beretta pistols with a loaded magazine, and one fabricated Beretta pistol containing seven rounds of live ammunition.
The police said the suspects are currently in custody while investigations are ongoing to uncover other criminal networks linked to them.
In a related development, the Command said that on January 29, 2025, operatives of the Zaria City Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, carried out a stop-and-search operation based on intelligence about the movement of armed bandits.
The operation led to the arrest of two suspects, Adamu Lawal and Abdulhadi Lawal, both from Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State, who were found in possession of a fabricated firearm and are assisting police investigations.
The Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Muhammad, commended the officers for their professionalism and reaffirmed the Command’s zero tolerance for banditry and criminality, warning that Kaduna State would remain hostile to criminals and their collaborators.
(The Nation)
