The Katsina State Police command has arrested 19 suspects including Haruna Yusuf and his two sons for banditry and gunrunning in the State and other neighbouring States.

Yusuf, 47, a resident of Muduru village in Mani Local Government Area of Katsina led a syndicate supplying arms from Niger Republic to bandits in the forests of Zamfara and Katsina States.

The suspect was arrested alongside his sons, Ibrahim Salisu, 20, and Shuaibu Haruna, 18.

Other suspected members of the syndicate arrested are Haruna Adamu, 35, and Auwal Abubakar, 28, both of Maduru village, Mani Local Government Area of Katsina.

While parading the suspects on Monday, 25th January 2021 at the command headquarters in Katsina, Sanusi Buba, State Commissioner of Police revealed that Yusuf had confessed to sourcing arms and ammunition from Niger Republic for Lawan Zayyana, Haruna Adamu and Auwal Abubakar who supplied them to bandits in the forest.

Read Also: 13 KILLED, 11 KIDNAPPED AS BANDITS ATTACK BINGI AND NACHUCHE VILLAGES IN ZAMFARA

The 35-year-old Zayyana is said to be a notorious bandit and supplier of arms and ammunition to bandits.

CP Buba said: “He confessed to have sold over 10,000 arms and ammunition to bandits in the forest.

“Furthermore, Haruna Adamu and Auwal Abubakar confessed to have severally trafficked these arms and ammunition to bandits at Gurbi and Dan-Magaji areas in Zamfara State."

Also arrested are: Murtala Haruna, 20, described as a nephew of the arms dealer, Ibrahim Dabo, 19, from Natsinta village, Kandamau, Maradi, Niger Republic, Sambo Muhammadu, 22, and Jibir Adamu, 20.

Others are Sani Ibrahim, 20; Yusufa Muhammadu, 28; Abubakar Muhammadu, 26; Abdullahi Dabo, 28; Murtala Ado, 20, Sani Muhammad, 29; and Umar Bello, 28; all of Natsinta village, Kandamau, Maradi, Niger Republic.

Also paraded are Basiru Usman, 18, of Tsanni village, Batagarawa LGA of Katsina, who was described as a brother of the suspected arms supplier, Mr Zayyana and Kamaradini Jafaru, 30, of Muduru village, Mani LGA of Katsina State.

Two (2) General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), One (1) LAR rifle and one hundred and seventy-nine (179) Anti-Aircraft (AA) ammunition, seven motorcycles, the sum of three million, four hundred and thirteen thousand and five hundred (3,413,500) West African – CFA Franc, were recovered in from the suspects.

The development marks another successful onslaught by security operatives on criminal elements in the North Western region of Nigeria which is notorious for banditry attacks.

Eons Intelligence earlier reported that men of the Nigerian Army killed thirty-five armed bandits in separate encounters at Katsina and Zamfara States.

Series of bandits attacks involving kidnappings and killings have been reported in the North West region recently.

On 21st January 2021, 13 persons were killed and 11 others were abducted by bandits during an attack on Bingi and Nachuche villages in Bungudu local government area of Zamfara State.

The attack occurred two days after bandits shot dead JF London, the commander of the Joint Task Force in Zamfara and four days after security forces killed thirty bandits terrorizing Bungudu Local Government Area of the state.

Also, on 22nd January 2021, bandits attacked Raddah community in Charanchi Local Government Area of Katsina State and abducted the village head.

Follow us on Twitter and get the most exclusive of news as it breaks.