Police parade 20 suspected bandits in Sokoto

Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto

A combined operation of the police, army, customs and immigration personnel have arrested 20 persons suspected to be indulging in banditry in Isa and Sabon Birnin local government areas of the state.

The suspects were paraded on Tuesday by the State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Kaoje. He said the bandits who entered the state through Zamfara State have been terrorising the people of the two LGAs before their arrest.

He described the success recorded by the security agents as part of the new security measure, Operation “Puff Adder,” recently launched by the acting Inspector General of Police in the state.

According to him, “this Operation Puff Adder is designed to effectively synergised with other security agencies. You can see the synergy with the whole security agencies in Sokoto State command; you can see all the security agencies around now, this is the results.

“Zamfara is becoming hot for them and as they were passing by, they wanted to come down to Sokoto, but with our synergy, we can all see the results now.

“We are getting some of them and we will still get them, but for the time being, Sokoto State command has been peaceful.

“Let me use this opportunity on behalf of the security agencies to say that everyone in the state, especially in Isa and Sabon Birni local governments area can sleep with their two eyes closed; we have now secured the environment and the state as a whole, no more bandits.
“We would also appeal to the public to give us useful information; without that, we cannot get these people. We need their support in terms of logistics,” Kaoje appealed.

The commissioner urged residents of both Isa and Sabon Birni area to go about their lawful business, while assuring that the security agents will not rest until the state is cleared of bandits.

Some of the items recovered from the criminals include six handsets, one locally-made gun, six motorcycles, huge numbers of registered SIM cards, charms and armlets, mobile police uniform, many wraps of substances believed to be hard drugs.