By Fawaz Adebisi
In a significant operation, the police in Jigawa State have apprehended six individuals, exposing their alleged involvement in the illegal supply of firearms, acts of vandalisation, and motorcycle theft.
This groundbreaking investigation sheds light on a complex criminal network operating within the region.
Assistant Public Relations Officer of the Command, ASP Abubakar Sadiq, officially confirmed these critical arrests in a statement provided on Wednesday.
ASP Sadiq revealed that the individuals, arrested in connection with the illicit firearms trade, are Bilal Faraji, a 29-year-old citizen of Niger Republic, and Yusuf A. Yusuf, a 28-year-old resident of Kazaure Local Government Area in Jigawa State.
According to him, both suspects are believed to be central figures in the supply chain of firearms and ammunition to criminal elements operating in the Ringim area and its surrounding regions.
He said during extensive interrogations, these suspects confessed to their involvement in the sale and distribution of firearms, thereby implicating themselves in a web of criminal activities that have affected both Kano and Jigawa States.
He added that the catalyst for these arrests was a series of criminal incidents, including a daring burglary that took place on September 28, 2023.
Sagiru Musa, a resident of Kakikankare village in Ringim Local Government Area, recounted a harrowing encounter where four armed individuals forcibly entered his residence, making off with his green-colored Golf 3 wagon, bearing the registration number RNG 691 AA Jigawa State.
Additionally, the criminals seized two Tecno phone keypads.
He stressed that the stolen vehicle contained a trove of personal documents and valuable items, including an ATM card, Voter card, National ID card, Custom duty papers, Vigilante ID card, and vehicle particulars.
Another alarming incident unfolded on September 9, 2023, when Alhaji Ibrahim Jeke, the Chief Security Officer at Dutse International Airport, reported the theft of an air conditioning unit and the vandalism of cable wires integral to the glide slope and VOR systems at the airport.
Prompted by these reports, the Divisional Police Officer swiftly assembled a dedicated team to investigate the crime scenes and bring the culprits to justice.
Their diligence bore fruit on September 29, 2023, when three additional suspects were apprehended in connection with the airport burglary.
Sadiq identified these suspects as Mutari Idris, Adamu Idris, and Yasir Iliyasu, all hailing from Bakin Ruwa village in Dutse Local Government Area, Jigawa State, and Kara Makama village in Ajingi Local Government Area, Kano State.
During meticulous searches of their residences, law enforcement officers uncovered four cartridges for a pump-action firearm, an axe, earth cables, connection wire condoms, armoured cables, and air conditioning fan blades.
Interrogation of these suspects further solidified their connection to the airport premises trespassing and the vandalism of valuable equipment.
