The Nigeria Police Force has arrested three suspects and recovered a cache of weapons, including a fabricated AK-47 rifle, alongside 46 rustled cows during coordinated operations across Sokoto State.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmad Rufa’i, disclosed that the operations were conducted between April and May in different parts of the state.
According to the statement, the first operation took place on April 29 when operatives from the Gidan Madi Police Station acted on intelligence regarding suspicious individuals spotted on the outskirts of Tangaza town. Following intensified patrols and stop-and-search activities along the Tangaza–Gidan Madi Road, three suspects were apprehended.
The suspects were identified as Aliyu Bello (30), Dahiru Umar (25), and Bashar Isah Yusuf (29), all residents of Kwazari village in Kware Local Government Area.
Items recovered from them included one fabricated AK-47 rifle, a magazine, 17 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, two 32g cartridges, two dane guns, and six charms. Police confirmed that the suspects are currently under investigation and will be charged to court upon conclusion of the process.
In a separate operation on May 3, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit foiled a cattle rustling attempt in Gidan Bubu village, Wamakko Local Government Area. Acting on intelligence that armed bandits had invaded the community and were firing sporadically, a tactical team engaged the attackers and pursued them to Gidan Gawe Forest in Silame Local Government Area.
During the pursuit, the suspects reportedly fled with gunshot injuries, abandoning 19 cows.
Additionally, on April 30, police recovered 27 cows near Zamoriya village in Tangaza after responding to a distress call from community guards who reported suspicious movements linked to suspected members of the Lakurawa group. The suspects fled upon sighting security operatives.
The Commissioner of Police, Hayatu Hassan Shaffa, commended the officers for their efforts, noting that the successes highlight the importance of intelligence gathering and collaboration between communities and law enforcement.
He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling insecurity and urged residents across affected local government areas to continue providing timely and useful information to security agencies.
