John Adams, Minna
The Niger State police command has apprehended two persons for allegedly providing medical treatment and supplying drugs to armed bandits in the Mariga Local Government Area of the state.
The two suspects, Habila Abel Julius, 25, and Abdullahi Garba, 30, were apprehended by security operatives after administering injection and other drugs on some of the wounded bandits.
It was gathered that the bandits had approached the duo at their chemist where they presented them with the injection to be administered on them.
After, the bandits according to police source asked the patent medicine dealers to be supplying them with the injection and other drugs which they agreed
However, it was in the process of keeping to the deal that the police arrested them though the bandits were said to have escaped.
The patent medicine dealers did not deny the allegation but said they acted “under duress” because the bandits “threatened to kill us if we reported to the police”.
One of the patent medicine dealers, however, confessed that they were paid for the transaction.
Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mohammad Abubakar confirmed the story saying investigation into the crime was still ingoing.
Abubakar said the suspects had enough time to report to the police which they did not do discrediting their claim that they acted under duress.
Mariga LGA is one of the areas of the state where bandits and kidnappers have held sway for almost one year leaving several people killed many others rendered homeless and scores of heads of cattle rustled.
In the meantime six out of the 20 victims kidnapped during last Saturdays bandits raids on some communities in Borgu Local Government Area of the state have been rescued.
The police also arrested three people suspected to be acting as informants to the bandits.
The arrests were made by the Inspector General of Police Tactical Squad which was deployed to the area.
The police declined to give details of the operation but it was gathered that the IGP tactical squad was still in the forests searching for the bandits.