We received arms in the forest from a helicopter, arrested bandit reveals

A bandit, Aliu Musa on Wednesday revealed how weapons were supplied to his gang members in Katsina forest.

According to him, the weapons were supplied with the use of a helicopter inside Dinya Forest in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State.

The 20-year-old Musa and another suspected bandit, Salmanu Isa, 18, were among suspects paraded for various offences at the Katsina Police Command headquarters.

His confession: “I once saw that aircraft with fans on its head (helicopter) drop weapons for my boss while we were inside forest at Dinja.

“It was hovering and was very near ground. The man inside would drop the weapons for my boss who would now couple the weapons for our use,” Musa told journalists.

He explained further that “It is only my boss who would go and pick the weapons while we would be watching from where we stood.”

The bandit also said he was paid N17,000 per operation and confessed to killing at least five people during operations.

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The bandits mentioned Sirajo and Bishir as their gang leaders.

Meanwhile, the police spokesman, Anas Gezawa, before parading the suspects, said Musa’s gang had killed no fewer than 25 people in different operations.

“The first suspect Salmanu Isah (a member of the gang) mentioned that they attacked some villages with his syndicate, where they robbed Zango village and went away with eight cows,” Gezawa said.

“He also confessed that he shot dead one person before going to rob at Santa village, where they snatched six sheep and some food items.”

The police spokesman added that the bandits also attacked Bela and Zango villages where they killed about 20 people and rustled two cows.

Gezawa also said the bandits stormed Omodo village and killed about five people and also rustled eight cows and six sheep.

He said police investigation was ongoing in the case to unravel other perpetrators.

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