The Nigeria Police appears to be making headway in combating the insecurity ravaging the country, as it has arrested 38 suspects for arms smuggling, kidnapping, and armed robbery.
The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Adamu, while thanking the general public for volunteering information leading to the arrest of the suspects, also praised his men for their acts of gallantry.
Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba in a statement in Abuja, explained that the unrelenting efforts of operatives of the Intelligence Response Unit, IRT, Special Tactical Squad, STS, Police Mobile Force, Counter Terrorism Unit and the Special Forces attached to Operation Puff Adder have resulted in the dismantling of a 4-man international arms-smuggling syndicate. The criminal gang, according to him, operates between parts of North African, the Sahel region and West African Countries. A total of 6000 AK47 Live ammunition were recovered from them.
Mba said the 4-man syndicate comprising Ojoomo Olugbenga, 45, native of Akure Central, Ondo State; Oladimeji Adeogun, 50, native of Ido LGA of Oyo State; Habib Musibau, 24, native of Oluyole LGA of Oyo State; and Thomas Olumuyiwa, 54, native of Ado-Odo Ota LGA of Ogun State, all male, were arrested at Saki town, Nigeria-Benin Republic border in Oyo State. Investigation reveals that the syndicate specializes in smuggling small arms, light weapons and ammunition from North Africa through the Sahel region and supplying same to their criminal partners – kidnappers, armed robbers, political thugs, and other criminal elements – in Nigeria and other West African countries.
The Police also disclosed that another set of 24 AK47 rifles, four pump action guns, 11 Dane guns, 10 English Pistols, Two single barrel guns, one set of army camouflage uniform and 22 live cartridges were recovered from other criminal gangs in different parts of the country.
A total of 38 suspects were arrested for their different roles in various criminal operations ranging from kidnapping, armed robbery, banditry, and cattle rustling.
The IGP also assured the nation that the Police will continually work round the clock along with other security agencies towards ensuring improved border security, control of arms proliferation and combating kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes across the country.
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