Jutha Gupah, Maiduguri
May 19, 2023.
The Borno State Police Command has arrested 110 suspects for rape, kidnappings and robberies in the state.
The arrests of suspects were made in the Maiduguri metropolis and Jere council in the last five months.
Parading the suspects, yesterday (Friday), in Maiduguri, the Commissioner of Police, Abdu Umar, disclosed: “There are 70 cases comprising 15 for armed robbery, six each for kidnapping and rape, 15 for criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide and 29 for theft and criminal conspiracy.”
He said the police have been relentless in their operational procedures in the manhunt of culprits for rape, armed robbery, kidnaping, vandalism, culpable homicide, drug dealings, and theft among others.
According to him, the committed crimes were tackled due to the review of the police operational strategies, acquisition of specialize operational assets, intelligence capacity and the synergy among the police, military and other security agencies.
“We had to apply both the kinetic and non-kinetic approach in combating various crimes, as laid by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alkali Usman Baba,” he said.
On the arrest of kidnappers, he said; “Sani Barmo and Mallam Lawali were arrested on May 3, 2023, for threatening Alhaji Mani and Alhaji Mainasara of Burshika village for kidnap in Bargu district of Shani local council.
He said that the suspects, also threatened to kidnap the villagers, if they failed to pay N5 million ransom.
“The police Crack team in collaboration with local hunters at Shani laid an ambush in the early hours of May 7, 2023 to pick the ransom,” he said; adding that the suspects that demanded for N5 million ransom were arrested on a motorcycle at the scene.
He continued; “After all means to arrest them failed, the crack team opened fire and injured Mallam Lawali, while Sani Barmo was arrested with the recovery of the motorcycle,
Other suspects arrested included a 28-year, Satomi Biryam, Jugal Ali, 23 and 24-year old Grema Modu and Jugudum Gambo, 22 of Mafa town, 40 kilometres East of Maiduguri.
He disclosed that the suspects were arrested for assisting Boko Haram terrorists in Sambisa forest.
He said that the suspects had been exchanging money with the terrorists in Mafa town.
“They also admitted that few weeks ago, some Boko Haram terrorists gave them N100, 000 in the bush for free distribution to the less privilege persons in Mafa,” he said.
Umar, therefore, assured that; after investigations were completed by the police, the 110 suspects will be prosecuted in the courts of law.
End.