Juliana Francis
The Force spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, yesterday announced that the Police have arrested the killers of ex-Zamfara State gubernatorial aspirant, Alhaji Sagir Hamidu and also arrested 22 other suspects for the commission of other violent crimes across states.
According to Adejobi, the feats were achieved by Operatives of the Force Intelligence Bureau Intelligence Response Team (FIB-IRT).
He said that the 22 suspects were arrested in connection with violent crimes such as culpable homicide, armed robbery, kidnapping, arms trafficking, possession of prohibited firearms, rape, amongst others.
Speaking on the case murder of Hamidu, Adejobi said the deceased was also the owner of Famak British Schools.
Adejobi stated that the FIB-IRT also recovered a total of 52 firearms including one Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) Launcher, one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), 36 AK47 Rifles, two English shotguns, five locally-made shotguns, five locally-made automatic pistols, four pump-action shotguns, 2,045 rounds of live ammunition of different calibres, one DAF Truck loaded with 45,000 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS), two Motor Vehicles, three Mobile Phones, two machetes, and five tear gas canisters from the suspects during follow-up investigations.
He said: “In one of the cases, the duo of 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. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were part of the bandit syndicate which carried out the attack on travellers at Rijana, along the Kaduna – Abuja expressway on November 21, 2021, in which they 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 behind in a nearby bush.”
Similarly, two suspects; Badong Audu, 48, and Chimezie Okolie, 44, both males, were arrested following credible intelligence of an impending arms movement from Jos, through Nasarawa State, to the Eastern part of the country.
The FIB-IRT Operatives swung into action and aarrested Badong Audu on 26th April 2022, at Namu Village with two AK47 Rifles and 51 rounds of live ammunition concealed in a bag of beans.
“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 gallant operatives of the FIB-IRT, acting on a tip-off that a DAF Truck carrying 45,000 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS), had been hijacked at Saminaka Village, Niger State at gunpoint and the occupants abducted, equally mobilized, and intercepted the hoodlums at Lambata Area of Niger State, where the truck was recovered, and four suspects were arrested. The operatives, with the aid of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers’ Association Suleja Depot, were able to recover the PMS which had been discharged by the suspects,” Adejobi explained.
