Following solid intelligence of a planned arms transfer from Jos, through Nasarawa, to the Eastern portion of the country, Badong Audu of Plateau State and Chimezie Okolie of Anambra State were arrested.

AwesomeProf

May 14, 2022 - 00:40

0 17

Following solid intelligence of a planned arms transfer from Jos, through Nasarawa, to the Eastern portion of the country, Badong Audu of Plateau State and Chimezie Okolie of Anambra State were arrested.

The arms and suspects.

On their route to the eastern portion of the country, police operatives intercepted over 52 guns, including AK-47 rifles disguised in bean bags.

In addition, 23 people have been arrested for other crimes. Two of the accused were among the assassins of Alhaji Sagir Hamidu, a former governor of Zamfara State and the proprietor of Famak British Schools.

The suspects were detained for culpable homicide, armed robbery, kidnapping, weapons trafficking, possession of illegal guns, and rape, according to a statement from Force Headquarters in Abuja.

The suspects were found with 52 firearms, including an RPG launcher, a General Purpose Machine Gun, 36 AK-47 rifles, English shotguns, locally-made arms, pump action, 2,045 rounds of live ammunition of various calibres, one DAF truck loaded with 45,000 litres of fuel, cars, phones, machetes, and tear gas canisters.

Sani Usman, 22, and Mohammed Tijjani, 23, both from Pai Konkore, Gwagwalada, in the Federal Capital Territory, were apprehended in connection with a case of kidnapping and armed robbery along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, according to the statement signed by CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Force Public Relations Officer.

"Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were members of the bandit syndicate that gruesomely murdered an ex-Zamfara State gubernatorial aspirant and owner of Famak British Schools, Alhaji Sagir Hamidu, and kidnapped a nursing mother, leaving her baby in a nearby bush on Sunday, November 21, 2021."

"Similarly, two suspects, Badong Audu, 48, of Namu Village in Plateau State, and Chimezie Okolie, 44, of Ekwusigo in Anambra State, both males, were apprehended after reliable intelligence of an anticipated arms transfer from Jos, through Nasarawa State, to the Eastern portion of the country."

"Operatives went into action and caught Badong Audu with two AK-47 weapons and 51 rounds of live ammo stashed in a bag of beans on April 26, 2022 at Namu Village.

“Investigations led to the arrest of the receiver, Chimezie Okolie, at Nasarawa State, where he was waiting to take delivery of the arms and ammunition.”

“The Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, while commending the FIB-IRT operatives for the successes recorded, assured of the Force’s commitment to dutifully following up on established cases, conclusively investigating such with a bid to bring all persons found wanting to justice.

“All the suspects will be arraigned in court on completion of investigations.”