The Gombe State Police Command has apprehended a 27-year-old Taraba resident named Joseph Babari, who had been paid to fight in Plateau State.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, confirmed this in a statement issued on Saturday in Gombe, the state capital.
According to Abdullahi, the suspect was apprehended on Wednesday at about 11.30 p.m. by a police patrol squad assigned to the Pero-Chonge Division of Shongom Local Government Area (LGA) in Gombe.
He stated that the arrest occurred while the team was performing a stop-and-search near the border between Gombe and Taraba State.
According to him, Babari confessed to having been contracted by one Isah to fight in Bokkos LGA of Plateau for two months.
He stated that the suspect claimed to have been paid N180,000 for the task, which he completed, and that he was on his way home when detained.
According to a police spokesman, when the team detained Babari, he was in illegal possession of a locally built automatic rifle, eight rounds of live ammunition, a locally made black vest, and several charms.
“During preliminary interrogation, the suspect disclosed that he was travelling from Maikatako, Bokos LGA of Plateau State, with the intention of reaching Karim Lamido LGA of Taraba State.
“However, further investigation revealed that the suspect had been contracted as a fighter at the rate of N180,000 to operate in Bokos LGA for a duration of two months by one Isah whose surname remains unknown,” he said.
According to the spokesperson, the suspect is still in police custody, together with the recovered exhibits, while further investigation is underway to determine the weapon’s source and intended purpose.
He informed people that the command is committed to maintaining peace and combating the spread of illegal weaponry.
He advised the public to be alert and report any suspicious activities to the nearest security agency.
