The Special Task Force (STF) in charge of security in Plateau State has arrested six bandits that allegedly killed five soldiers in the state.
Maj-Gen. Augustine Agundu, Commander of the STF also known as Operations Safe Haven (OPSH), disclosed this on Thursday in Jos when presenting the bandits and other suspects to newsmen.
Agundu said that the suspects, Muhammed Abubakar; Abduallahi Abubakar; Habib Abubakar; Marina Dandash; Saidu Abdullah and Mrs Salamatu Saiyit, were arrested at Bet Village in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.
The commander said that the troops exploited the successes of the raid in the general area, NAN reports.
He said that the suspects confessed to have been involved in the attack on troops deployed at Betzak Village in Barkin Ladi.
“The suspects being paraded with one Mrs Salamatu Saiyit whose husband, Auwal Zakaria, concealed an AK 47 rifle loaded with 20 rounds of 7.62mm in his residence.
“The suspects revealed their involvement in the attack on own troops at Nding-Sesut Village in Barkin Ladi LGA which led to the death of three OPSH soldiers on the Sept. 6, 2018.
“Preliminary interrogation also revealed their involvement in the attacks on our troops deployed at Fan District in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area and Kwanan Fulani in Riyom Local Government Area that led to the death of two OPSH soldiers on Sept. 28, 2019.
“The deductions of the investigations made startling revelation that this assumed bandits have a regional connection with other bandits across North Central Region of the country.
“However, in the course of time, further exploitation of other connections in criminal activities will lead to the possible arrest of their accomplices and collaborators,” he said.
He said that in the course of conducting raid operations, OPSH troops apprehended Emmanuel Sunday, a suspected armed robber at Utan Jos, with locally fabricated firearm.
Agundu said that the suspect confessed to involvement in phone snatching and dispossessing commuters of their valuables along a stretch of winding road between Utan and Rock Haven in Jos.
“In other instances, OPSH busted a criminal gang network that specialises in dispossessing unsuspecting persons while commuting in their tricycle ‘one chance menace’.
“On Oct. 7, 2019, our troops arrested Mr Martins Obioha and Henry Okezie while trying to disposes Mrs Mary Ezekiel of an undisclosed amount of money while commuting through Rukuba Road in Jos.
“The rider of the tricycle on sighting our surveillance operation fled but was later arrested,” he said.
According to him, preliminary investigation revealed that Uzokwe is a notorious cult member and a hardened criminal that served a 24-month jail term from 2014 to 2016.
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