By Jumai Mohammed,
Minna
Niger State Police Command has raided criminal hideouts in some settlemts belonging to Fulani herdsmen and Gwari (Gbagyi) communities, which used to be the battle ground for the herdsmen and the local farmers (Gwari).
The Police said that they also made progress in curtailing the activities of kidnappers and other criminals in the state irrespective of poor communication equipment.
Police Commissioner, Zubairu Mu’azu, disclosed this while parading some crime suspects arrested in parts of the state at the state police headquarters in Minna on Monday.
He added that the command had intensified efforts to ensure there was no-hiding place for criminals.
Besides, Niger State Police Command collaborated with other security agencies to achieve the desired feat, Zubairu disclosed.
His words: “We took the battle down to the armed bandits’ den in Alawa, Kukoki, Isau, Kaffin-koro, Sarkin-powa, Gidan-Mangoro, Lapai and Gurrara”.
The police commissioner also gave other areas where armed bandits have strongholds and have until recently continued to unleash terror on innocent citizens, to include Pandogari, where recent mob attack over alleged blasphemy led to the death of a patent medicine dealer.
Among the suspects arrested in response to the incessant attacks on some villages in Rafi, Shiroro, Lapai and Paikoro included 24 most wanted suspected kidnappers and cattle rustlers with some cattle recovered from them.
Aerial surveillance and ground raids led to the arrest and recovery of items, Zubairu said and gave the names of items recovered to include 5 AK47 riffle with 648 rounds of live ammunition, 21 single barrel guns with 249 cartridges, 1 revolver riffle, 5 revolver short guns, 6 Ghana made pistols.
Other items includes one locally made pistol, nine dane guns, axe, bows and arrows, machetes, knives and a carton stocked with assorted medicaments apparently used in meeting the health needs of the suspects while inside the bush.
Meanwhile, the state police commissioner said that the command was consistently being frustrated in its resolve to bring under control intra and inter-state armed bandits who are always hiding inside the bushes from where they launch attacks on innocent citizens.
State Police Commissioner, Mu’azu Zubairu, disclosed this, adding that “Part of the challenges we encounter in taking the battle to the criminals’ dens is that the roads are not motorable and lack or poor communication to reach the police on time”.
The commissioner who solicited for the support of citizens in the fight against criminals and crime by reporting all criminal hideouts to security agencies also called on Nigerlites to shun rumours ‘because rumour builds up undue tension and panic’.