I came accross this news article via Weekly Post of Daily Post and feel the need to share this with you dear readers, it is very interesting please enjoy reading.
The activities of daredevil armed robbers in Zamfara State peaked in June this year with the killing of 27 persons including a policeman in some villages under the Dansadau Emirate in Maru local government area of Zamfara. The robbers, according to the villagers, visited them in what they believed was a revenge mission by the robbers after some of them were publicly executed by members of the local vigilante group mobilised by the people of Dansadau and environs to tackle the criminals.
Weekly Trust learnt that over 50 persons were killed by the robbers between 2011 and June this year by the gang. It all started in August last year when the armed robbers went from house to house in search of members of the vigilante group. Ten persons were reportedly killed in the attack by the gang.
The gang returned in October 2011 and killed 23 persons and injured many others. Months later, specifically, January 25 this year, 15 persons who were on business trip were killed and their corpses set ablaze in Birnin Magaji local government area of Zamfara State allegedly by the same gang, thereby , leaving members of the farming community terrified.
Again, the same gang returned to Dansadau in Maru LGA in June 10 this year and went from house to house, killing the residents and setting their houses ablaze. The operation was carried out freely without the intervention of security men. In all the attacks, the armed robbers did not rob the villagers or victims of their belongings except lives.
“During the first attack in August 2011, 10 persons were killed, on October 1 same year, 23 were killed and in June 10 this year bringing to 27 persons murdered just latest by the gang. On January 25th, 15 persons were killed and their corpses set ablaze,” a journalist told Weekly Trust.
To rid the state of the armed robbers, the state government invited renowned armed robbers’ hunter, Aliyu Mohammad Ahmed, popularly known as Ali Kwara. After 25 days operation in the forest hunting for the armed robbers, Ali Kwara told newsmen that 12 serving policemen were the suppliers of guns to the armed bandit.
According to him, nine policemen were arrested in Zamfara State and that three others were arrested in neighbouring Sokoto State for gunrunning. He said the policemen arrested in Zamfara State include seven inspectors, a sergeant and a constable.
“These policemen were fingered by the armed robbers as the suppliers of their guns. The policeman in charge of armoury in Zamfara State was also fingered by the armed robbers. After the armed robbers fingered them, I told the police commissioners of the two states and they ordered for their arrest.
“Guns belonging to Zamfara and Sokoto state police commands were taken to as far as Niger, Plateau and states in Niger Delta areas,” Ali Kwara said.
According to him, the armed robbery gangs were from Katsina and Kaduna States and that many of the armed robbers arrested had confessed to the crime. He said the operation to get rid of the armed robbery gangs was jointly carried out by his team, anti robbery squad from Abuja, Zamfara and Sokoto State police commissioners.
“I will like to thank the two police commissioners for their cooperation which made my job easier. |If we can continue this way, we would get rid of armed robbers and other criminals in record time,” he stressed.
The Zamfara State Police Commissioner Mr. Usman Akila Gwary did not deny the claim of Ali Kwara that policemen were the ones selling guns to the armed bandits, but said he was not competent to speak on the issue.
“I’m not competent to speak, because the case is being handled in Abuja,” he said.
Zamfara State Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Birnin Magaji confirmed the invitation of Ali Kwara by the state government to assist the police in tackling armed robberies.
He reiterated the commitment of the state to get rid of the criminals for the safety of lives and property of the people of state.
A driver based in Zamfara state, Abubakar Kaura, said all the policemen arrested for supplying guns to the killer armed robbers should be killed.
“Right from the beginning of their attacks, we know they have the support of the security men, because of the kind of ammunition they were using. Nobody can give you the exact number of people they had so far killed, but I know they are close to 100,” he said.
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