May 13, (THEWILL) – Operatives of the Force Intelligence Bureau Intelligence Response Team (FIB-IRT), led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Olatunji Disu, have arrested the killers of ex-Zamfara State gubernatorial aspirant and owner of Famak British Schools, Alhaji Sagir Hamidu, at Rijana.
The team which recorded massive successes against agents and collaborators of violent crimes in the country, also arrested 23 other suspects of violent crimes, such as culpable homicide, armed robbery, kidnapping, arms trafficking, possession of prohibited firearms, rape, amongst others.
CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force Spokesperson, who paraded the suspects on Friday, at the FIB-IRT office, Abuja, disclosed that the operatives also recovered a total of 52 firearms including one Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) Launcher, one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), 36 AK47 Rifles, two English shotguns, five locally-made shotguns, 5 locally-made automatic pistols, four pump action shotguns, two thousand and forty-five (2,045) rounds of live ammunition of different calibres, one DAF Truck loaded with 45,000 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS), two Motor Vehicles, three Mobile Phones, two machetes, and five tear gas canisters from the suspects during follow-up investigations.
According to Adejobi, “One of the cases, the duo of Sani Usman, aged 22 and Mohammed Tijani, aged 23, both from Pai Konkore, Gwagwalada, in the Federal Capital Territory, were apprehended in connection with a case of kidnapping and armed robbery along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were part of the bandit syndicate which carried out the attack on travellers at Rijana, along the Kaduna – Abuja expressway on Sunday, November 21, 2021, in which they gruesomely murdered an ex-Zamfara State gubernatorial aspirant and owner of Famak British Schools, Alhaji Sagir Hamidu and kidnapped a nursing mother leaving her baby behind in a nearby bush.
“Similarly, two suspects, one Badong Audu, aged 48, of Namu Village in Plateau State and one Chimezie Okolie aged 44, of Ekwusigo in Anambra State, both males, were arrested following credible intelligence of an impending arms movement from Jos, through Nasarawa state, to the Eastern part of the country.
“The FIB-IRT Operatives swung into action and apprehended Badong Audu on 26th April, 2022, at Namu Village with two AK47 Rifles and 51 rounds of live ammunition concealed in a bag of beans. Investigations led to the arrest of the receiver, Chimezie Okolie, at Nasarawa State, where he was waiting to take delivery of the arms and ammunition.”
He further noted that “The gallant operatives of the FIB-IRT, acting on a tip-off that a DAF Truck carrying 45,000 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS), had been hijacked at Saminaka Village, Niger State at gunpoint and the occupants abducted, equally mobilised and intercepted the hoodlums at Lambata Area of Niger State, where the truck was recovered and four suspects arrested.
“The operatives, with the aid of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers’ Association, Suleja Depot, were able to recover the PMS which had been discharged by the suspects.”
Adejobi said the Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, commended the FIB-IRT operatives for the successes recorded.
“All the suspects will be arraigned in court on completion of investigations”, he said.
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