Francis Sardauna in Katsina
The Katsina State Police Command has said it has neutralised 54 bandits and charged no fewer than 239 to different courts across the state between January to December 2022.
The command also announced the arrest of 1,102 other suspected criminals in connection with 705 reported cases with 989 suspects undergoing prosecution in various courts across the state.
Commissioner of Police in the state, Shehu Umar-Nadada, who disclosed this yesterday at the end of the year press conference in Katsina, said 16 other bandits were under investigation.
His words: “241 suspected bandits, kidnappers and informants to bandits, were arrested in which 239 suspects have been charged to court while 16 suspects are under investigation.
“In the course of this campaign, 54 bandits were neutralised in various gun battles while five police officers paid the supreme price. 1,092 domestic animals were recovered, which consist of 727 cows, 370 sheep and goats were recovered from the hoodlums.” Umar-Nadada explained that the command had within the period under review, rescued 122 kidnapped victims from bandits and kidnappers and recovered 22 stolen vehicles, 18 stolen and bandits’ motorcycles.
According to him, 14 AK-47 riffles, two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles, 19 locally made guns and 81 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition of AK-47 rifle were recovered from the criminals by operatives of the command in different fierce gun duels.
He stressed that 46 victims of human trafficking were also rescued, while 21 suspected Indian hemp and illicit drugs traffickers and suppliers of drugs to bandits, were nabbed with large quantity of drugs.
“So far, the Command recorded the following achievements in the year under review: A total of 1,102 suspects were arrested in connection 705 reported cases.
“While a total number of 989 arrested suspects are undergoing prosecution in various competent courts of Law in the state,” Umar-Nadada.
While noting that the war against crime and criminality is dynamic and not an easy one, Umar-Nadada urged journalists to project the “hard and good work” of the police and other security agencies to the general public.
