Soldiers shoot bandits and detain 73 suspects, in Bauchi, Plateau, Kaduna

The Nigerian Army reported on Monday that members of Operation Safe Haven have arrested 73 suspects in connection with kidnapping, criminal attacks, cattle rustling, gunrunning, and farm destruction in the states of Plateau, Bauchi, and Kaduna, neutralised suspected bandits, recovered weapons, and neutralised suspected drug dealers.

On October 18, 2023, troops of Operation Hakorin Damisa IV arrested nine suspected kidnappers, including Abdullahi Yahuza, Dante Chuwang, Abdullahi Haruna, Haruna Dauda, Nura Abubakar, Mohammed Abdusalam, Adam Aliyu, and Mahm, in connection with the murders of two women, Victoria Wetsan and Nagung Sale, who were working on farmland in Binkwaghas Village, panyam

Additionally, on October 19, 2023, troops detained four suspects—Anass Abdullahi, Abdulmalik Abdullahi, Aliyu, and Nuhu Mohammed—for attacking one Irimiya Nuhu and Arron Anthony near Gwom-Kwok village in Barkin Ladi LGA of Plateau State. These suspects were connected to the lone killing of one Yahaya Adamu at Kibul forest in Riyom LGA.

The statement said, “Further investigations led to the recovery of a Toyota Picnic vehicle with registration number KTU 48 GU, and an AK 47 rifle concealed in a bush.”

Additionally, it was reported that a notorious kidnapper fled after being stopped and searched at the Barkin Ladi LGA in the state, abandoning his automobile.

In a same vein, forces searched suspected kidnappers’ hideouts in the villages of Horop, Kawel, and Mushere as well as the Moonshine Hotel in the Bokkos LGA on October 19, 2023, and they detained 21 people for further investigation.

Additionally, during a stop and search at the Bisichi checkpoint in the Barkin Ladi LGA on October 20, 2023, a renowned kidnapper named Mallam Mamman who was on the security services’ wanted list abandoned his Ford Galaxy vehicle with the registration number PKN-693XA and fled. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the individual for prosecution.

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Likewise, following a search on the criminals’ hideout on October 16, 2023, forces detained 4 suspects, Mr. Philip Kwam, Juak Anyuwu, Daniel Benjamin, and Ezekiel Samuel, for harbouring criminals and in possession of illicit hard drugs. In connection with a theft at Gol village in Bokkos LGA, military and the Vigilante Group of Nigeria detained one Bukam Daniel on October 20, 2023.

The Army added that while acting on reliable information, the forces ambushed suspected bandits in Bura village, Ningi LGA Plateau State, detained one while others left the scene bleeding from gunshot wounds, and found an AK47 rifle.

Additionally, on October 17, 2023, OPSH troops detained four alleged kidnappers: Mallam Sale, Dibbo Abubakar, Umaru Abdullahi, and Jabbo Adamu in the villages of Yamini and Kuka in Plateau State’s Shendam LGA. The suspects were implicated in the recent kidnapping of Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi, according to preliminary inquiry.

Three suspects for automobile theft were detained by OPSH troops on October 20, 2023, near the Bauchi-Jos motorway, and they were then turned over to the Nigerian Police for prosecution. On October 21, 2023, at Gidan Waya in Kaduna’s Jema’a LGA, one Abdullahi Ibrahim was also detained for stealing a motorbike, according to the statement.