By Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
Operatives of the Force Intelligence Bureau Intelligence Response Team (FIB-IRT) have arrested 23 suspects over various violent crimes.
The violent crimes included culpable homicide, armed robbery, kidnapping, arms trafficking, possession of prohibited firearms and rape, among others.
Killers of former Zamfara State governorship aspirant and owner of Famak British Schools, Alhaji Sagir Hamidu, at Rijana, were among the arrested suspects.
These were disclosed in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Friday.
He said the FIB-IRT also recovered from the suspects during investigations were a total of 52 firearms including one Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) Launcher, one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), 36 AK47 Rifles, two English shotguns and five locally-made shotguns.
Others were five locally-made automatic pistols, four pump action shotguns, 2,045 rounds of live ammunition of different calibres, one DAF truck loaded with 45,000 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS), two vehicles, three mobile phones, two machetes, and five tear gas cannisters.
“In one of the cases, the duo of Sani Usman aged 22 years, and Mohammed Tijjani aged 23 years, both from Pai Konkore, Gwagwalada, in the Federal Capital Territory were apprehended in connection with a case of kidnapping and armed robbery along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were part of the bandit syndicate which carried out the attack on travellers at Rijana, along the Kaduna – Abuja expressway on Sunday, November 21, 2021 in which they gruesomely murdered an ex-Zamfara State gubernatorial aspirant and owner of Famak British Schools, Alhaji Sagir Hamidu, and kidnapped a nursing mother leaving her baby behind in a nearby bush,” he further disclosed.
The FPRO said, in like manner, one Badong Audu, 48, from Namu Village in Plateau State, and one Chimezie Okolie, 44, from Ekwusigo in Anambra State, were arrested following credible intelligence of an impending arms movement from Jos, through Nasarawa State, to the Eastern part of the country.
According to him, the FIB-IRT operatives swung into action and apprehended Badong Audu on 26th April, 2022 at Namu Village with 2 AK47 rifles and 51 rounds of live ammunition concealed in a bag of beans.
“Investigations led to the arrest of the receiver, Chimezie Okolie, at Nasarawa State, where he was waiting to take delivery of the arms and ammunition.
“The gallant operatives of the FIB-IRT, acting on a tip off that a DAF Truck carrying 45,000 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS), had been hijacked at Saminaka Village, Niger State at gun point and the occupants abducted, equally mobilized and intercepted the hoodlums at Lambata Area of Niger State, where the truck was recovered and four suspects were arrested.
“The operatives, with the aid of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers’ Association, Suleja Depot, were able to recover the PMS which had been discharged by the suspects,” Adejobi further disclosed, adding that all suspects will face the courts in due course.
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