Police officers in Zamfara have arrested a former soldier and notorious bandit who also supplies arms to terrorists in the northwestern State.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the State, Mohammed Shehu, disclosed this Thursday, while parading the suspect in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital.
TheFact Daily gathered that the suspect, identified as Sa’idu Lawal, was intercepted at about 5:30pm on 27 August 2022, following actionable intelligence received by the Police Tactical Squad and escort team attached to the Commissioner of Police in Zamfara State.
He was said to have been on his way to supply weapons to a notorious bandit leader terrorising communities in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, known as Dogo Hamza, when he was arrested by troops along Kaduna-Abuja highway.
Sa’idu Lawal, a native of Zamfara State, and ex-service personnel of the Nigeria Army attached to 73 Battalion Janguza Army Barracks Kano, voluntarily retired from the Nigerian Army in 2021 but has been supplying arms to bandits in the Northwest region.
The suspect was intercepted with a Pontiac Vibe vehicle with registration number KRD 686 CY Lagos, along Abuja–Kaduna highway, enroute Zamfara State. In a search conducted on the spot, 2 AK-47 rifles, 8 magazines, and 501 live ammunition were recovered in his possession.
Upon interrogation, Lawal confessed that he was to convey the said exhibits from Loko LGA of Nasarawa State to his customer one Dogo Hamza ‘M’ of Bacha village in Tsafe LGA of Zamfara State, adding that he had previously supplied the same consignment to his other customers in Kaduna, Katsina, Niger, and Kebbi States respectively.
The forty-one-year-old Lawal said he was paid N200,000 per trip and had collected N300,000 from his accomplice.
Who is said to have been terrorising communities in Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, and Kaduna States.
