Police: Suspects who sew military uniforms, repair motorcycles for bandits arrested in Zamfara

The Zamfara police command says its operatives have arrested suspected informants and arms suppliers who work for bandits in the state.

Mohammed Shehu, police spokesperson in the state, announced the development at a media briefing on Saturday.

According to him, a six-man syndicate of “informants” — with members identified as Abubakar Mainasara, Babangida Soja, Jamilu Lawali, Lawal Ibrahim, Surajo Idris, and Amadu Rufa’i — was arrested on Monday.

“On 12th September, 2022, the arrested suspects listed above are members of a notorious syndicate of informants who collaborate with bandits to terrorise peace-loving people of Gusau, Kaura Namoda, Tsafe, Bungudu LGAs and environs,” he said.

“The nefarious activities of this syndicate group were to give information to bandits to make it easier for them to attack communities and kidnap people for ransom.

“It was equally part of their activities to collect millions of naira to source for arms/ammunition and military camouflage uniforms for the bandits.

“Their recent dirty business was when one of the suspects, Abubakar Mainasara, in his statement to the police, confessed to collecting the sum of N850,000 from the bandits to source for military camouflage uniforms for them — a consignment that was given to Babangida, a.k.a. Major, who connived with one of their collaborators, a tailor, one Jamilu Lawali of Gusau, to source and sew the uniforms, which at the end, were delivered to the bandits.

“The same suspect further confessed to collecting the sum of N2 million from bandits to supply arms and ammunition for them, even though two of his accomplices, Lawal Ibrahim and Surajo Idris, confirmed to the police that the money given to the suspect was N6 million.

“The sum of N1 million was given to same Babangida Soja who, in turn, gave only N60,000 to Jamilu Lawali (the tailor) for the supply of the ammunition, who at the end supplied 10 rounds of AK-47 live ammunition, which was handed over to bandits through Babangida Soja and Abubakar Mainasara.”

In a similar development, the police spokesman said two suspected informants, identified as Alhassan Lawali and Mansur Usman, were arrested on Wednesday.

“In the course of interrogation, the suspect [Lawali] confessed to have supplied over 14 operational motorcycles to bandits in the forest at the rate of N750,000 each, of which he earned N15,000 per motorcycle. The suspect further confessed that over the years, he was the one repairing motorcycles for the bandits,” Shehu said.

“The suspect, in his statement, also mentioned one Mansur Usman as his collaborator, who was later arrested by the police.

“When interrogated, he confessed to have been supplying foodstuffs and deliver same to the bandits in the forest. He also confessed that many times, he collected and delivered ransom to the bandits. The last ransom he delivered was the sum of N2.3 million.”

Shehu also said another suspect, who claimed to be an ex-soldier, was arrested with “a locally fabricated revolver gun, military camouflage uniform, fake military ID card, and other dangerous weapons” on Wednesday in the state.

Also, on Friday, police operatives on surveillance patrol along Gusau-Kotor Koshi-Mada axis were said to have arrested one Umar Namaro, who “confessed to be one of the notorious bandits terrorising Mada and Kotor Koshi”.

“On spot search, one AK-49 and one Lar rifles and 174 round of live ammunition were recovered in his possession,” Shehu added.