Katsina police arrests ‘repentant’ notorious bandits working with govt for robbery, cattle rustling

The Katsina State Police Command has arrested three repentant bandits for robbery and cattle rustling in Ingawa Local Government Area of the state.

The development was disclosed in a statement on Wednesday by the Command’s Spokesperson, SP Isah Gambo, who said the suspects repented and had been working in collaboration with the Katsina State Government and other security agencies.

According to Gambo, one of the three suspects, Abdullahi Mai-Rafi was a notorious bandit and has been working under the office of Special Assistant to the State Governor on Security since he repented.

The statement read, “On 25/08/2021 at about 1230hrs, the Command succeeded in arresting the trio of one Abdullahi Mai-Rafi, ‘M’, aged 43yrs of Kofar Marusa Lowcost, Katsina, (2) Abbas Haruna alias Dogo-Abbas, ‘M’, aged 34yrs of Filin Polo Quarters, Katsina and (3) Usman Hassan, ‘M’, alias Manu, aged 50yrs of Ganuwa village, Charanchi LGA of Katsina state, repentant notorious bandits, working in collaboration with the Katsina state government and security agencies.

“The fact of the matter was that on 11/08/2021 at about 11:00hrs, the trio went to Danmarke forest, Ingawa LGA, with a motor vehicle Toyota, Camry, ash in colour, with registration number DE 631 LED, attacked a herder, one Alhaji Gide Suleiman of Malumafashi LGA while grazing his animals, with machetes and sticks

“They threatened him and his boys that they were from the office of Special Adviser on security to His Excellency, with a false allegation that their brother one Sa’idu had robbed one Lawal of his herds and that they should either produce the said Saidu or bring hundred (100) cows.

“After some scuffles, the suspects succeeded in robbing the said Alhaji Gide Suleiman of his twenty (20) cows valued seven million, five hundred and fifty thousand nairas (N7,550,000:00K) with the intention of taking them to the said Lawal as compensation for his stolen cows as falsely alleged by them.

Read also: Katsina police arrests suspected female gunrunner with N2.4m

“They also searched and robbed them of the sum of forty thousand (N40,000) naira and four (4) GSM handsets. Subsequently, on 24/08/2021 at about 0730hrs, the same syndicate of Abdullahi Mai-Rafi and three (3) others attacked the complainant on the same false allegation and attempted to rob him of another set of twenty cows and some sheep, but nemesis caught up with them when they were rounded up and arrested by the Command.”

Gambo noted that in the course of an investigation, Mai-Rafi and the other suspects confessed to the commission of the offences.

He said Mai-Rafi confessed to having conspired with the others and sold all the cows at Dankama market, Kaita LGA of the state.

Meanwhile, two cows and the sum of N444,000 were recovered from the suspects as exhibits.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now