The Kaduna State Police Command on Thursday said its operatives had arrested eight persons suspected to be highway robbers on the Kaduna-Abuja expressway.
Mansir Hassan, the Command spokesperson, said in a statement in Kaduna that operatives from Tollgate Divisional Headquarters arrested seven suspects on the Kaduna-Abuja highway on 27 Jan. “while gearing up to operate.”
“The patrol team, at about 1100 hours, sighted and intercepted a suspicious vehicle with seven passengers who were met changing their clothing to seemingly operational ones.
“When accosted, they could not offer a plausible explanation; thus, they were moved to the divisional headquarters.
“In the course of investigation, a locally fabricated pistol with three live 20-gauge shotgun cartridges was recovered from them.
“The seven suspects included Sheriff Abubakar, Hassan Adam, Nura Mustafa, Abdullahi Mohammed, Umar Mohammed, Umar Mohammed and Isa Usman.
“The eighth member of the syndicate, Yusuf Danmakurdi, was arrested by the Divisional Police Headquarters in Tafa.
“From our findings, the syndicate often attacks motorists along the Kaduna-Abuja highway. The worst hit are people whose vehicles have broken down.
“They attack mostly articulated vehicles carrying goods such as rice, beans, and electronics. They also attack fuel tanks.
“They usually move with an extra vehicle, a van or bus, into which they pack the aforementioned goods.
“In the case of a loaded fuel tank, they will restrain the driver and his partner in the bush and move with the tanker, sell the petroleum product, and abandon the vehicle,” Hassan said
He further stated that the suspects would be arraigned when investigation is completed.
The spokesperson quoted the Commissioner of Police, Mr Audu Ali, as commending the operatives for the arrest while tasking them to work towards ridding the state of all criminal elements.
