Zamfara police arrest 13 suspected notorious rapists, cars and motorcycles snatchers

Zamfara state police command has arrested 13 persons who specialised in raping of women as well as snatching of cars and motorcycles.

Briefing newsmen in his office today, the state's Police Commissioner, Alhaji Usman Nagoggo said, the suspects were arrested at different places in the state during an operation called " Operation Puff Adder".

According to the Commissioner, the syndicates used to rob their victims of their vehicles in their houses at gunpoint and also rape their families at their presence.

The Commissioner explained that, five of the suspects, namely Mohammed Dahiru ( alias Emeka Pastor) Abubakar Ahmed, Abubakar Ibrahim, Sani Garba, and Sama'ila Abubakar were car snatchers who used to snatch vehicles and later sell them in Niger Republic, adding that four vehicles snatched and sold to Niger Republic have so far been recovered by the police.

The other eight suspects who include Mubarak Abdullahi, Sanusi Mohammed, Ahmed Bello, Usman Idris, Miss Abdullahi, Labaran Lauwali, Yasha,u Mamman and Lauwali Lalan were experts in motorcycles snatching said the Commissioner and the police have recovered 26 motorcycles they have allegedly stolen and sold at different locations in the state.

"On October 4th last month, Operation Puff Adder attached to Tudun Wada Division arrested the above-mentioned hoodlums who have been terrorizing innocent people of Gusau and its environs with criminal activities ranging from armed robbery, Houses/shops breaking, snatching of vehicles/Motorcycles on gunpoint."

Their recent atrocity according to the Commissioner was at the house of a coordinator, National Directorate of Employment (NDE) Zamfara State where they went to his house, robbed him, and made away with his official Toyota Hilux Vehicle on gunpoint, and later took the vehicle to Niger Republic for sale.

He maintained that, all the suspects confessed to their past and present crimes and further led the police investigation team to Suleja in Niger state as well as Niger Republic where three (3) other stolen vehicles belonging to Nura Garba Daura, of Federal University Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi state, Nasiru Ahmed of Nasarawa Tudun Wada area, Gusau and Ibrahim Sani of Sabon Gari area, Gusau were recovered.

"All the vehicles were stolen at gun points and in some of the robberies, women were raped and subjected to all forms of humiliation". Added the Commissioner.

The Commissioner called on members of the public whose vehicles and motorcycles or other properties were stolen to come to the Police Command Headquarters with genuine documents for identification and possible release.