The Kaduna State Police Command has arrested seven suspected bandits and recovered five firearms with live ammunition in separate intelligence-led operations across the state.
In a press statement issued in kaduna by DSP Mansir Hassan, PPRO of the State Command said the arrests were part of its sustained crackdown on banditry and other criminal activities to ensure the safety of lives and property.
According to the statement, on January 28, 2025, at about 5:45pm, the Command received credible intelligence that five suspects—Yusuf Aliyu Yusuf, an acclaimed activist and human rights figure, Ahmed Umar, Abdullahi Muhammad, Ahmad Jazuli and Muktar Bashir, 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 the suspects.
Recovered from them were one English-made AK-47 rifle with two fully loaded magazines, two English-made Beretta pistols with one fully loaded magazine, and one locally fabricated Beretta pistol with seven rounds of live ammunition.
The suspects are currently in custody while investigations continue to unravel 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 (DPO), conducted a stop-and-search operation based on intelligence on 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 one locally fabricated firearm.
The suspects are presently in police custody and are cooperating with investigators to aid the arrest of other accomplices.
Commending the officers for their professionalism and swift response, the Commissioner of Police, CP Rabiu Muhammad, psc, mni, reaffirmed the Command’s zero tolerance for banditry and all forms of criminality.
He warned criminals and their collaborators to steer clear of Kaduna State, assuring that the Police Command would continue aggressive operations to identify, arrest and prosecute offenders.