by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Kaduna State Police Command says it has foiled an armed robbery attempt, neutralized one armed robber and recovered one locally made pistol with cartridge.
The Command also arrested two suspected car thieves, recovered two vehicles and intercepted 15 unsown Army camouflage materials, according to a statement issued Tuesday in Kaduna by its spokesman, ASP Mansir Hassan.
The statement stressed that, “On August 25th, 2024, around 1:20 PM, during a routine patrol and stop-and-search operation on the Birnin Gwari-Kaduna Highway, police officers stopped a vehicle and found a black leather bag containing 15 pieces of unsewn military camouflage material.
“The suspect admitted that he was to deliver the materials to someone in Udawa Village, who would then deliver them to armed bandits in the Chukuba area under Shiroro LGA of Niger State, for their operations. The suspect is currently cooperating with the Police to arrest other accomplices at large.
“On the 27th of August 2024, while on routine divisional patrol at about 1200 hrs, the police patrol team of Makarfi encountered a group of armed robbers, who had blocked the road using logs of wood and stones.
“Upon arrival at the scene, a shootout ensued between the police and the armed robbers. The superior firepower of the police patrol team forced the robbers to flee into the surrounding bushes.
“During the exchange, one of the robbers was neutralized and his locally made pistol and one cartridge were recovered. The police are combing the surrounding bushes in an ongoing operation to apprehend the remaining suspects.
“In the same vein, One Abdul Aziz Abdul Mumin reported to the police that his blue-black Toyota had been stolen. Following the report, the vehicle was spotted in the Hayin Dan Mani area of Kaduna. Acting swiftly, the police traced the location and maintained surveillance.
“At about 20:00 hours, on 26 August 2024, the police moved in and jointly arrested two suspects: One Abdul Mukhtar and his accomplice, One Mamman Ahmad M, a resident of Zoo Road, Kano. Ahmad was found driving a Mercedes Compressor with registration number AKD 547 GY, which is also suspected to have been stolen.
“During interrogation, the suspects confessed to using a master key to steal cars. Further investigation is ongoing to determine the full extent of the suspects’ activities and to identify other potential accomplices.
“The Commissioner of Police Kaduna Command, CP Audu Ali Dabigi, commended the officers for their excellent work and assured the public that the Command would continue to ensure criminals have no breathing space within the state,” it stated.