The police command in Zamfara has arrested additional 17 suspects in connection with post-election violence that erupted following the announcement of the governorship election result in the state.

The command said it had also recovered looted and vandalised property.

The command also succeeded in arresting wanted notorious bandits, cattle rustlers, and kidnappers.

This is contained in a statement in Gusau on Sunday by the command’s public relations officer, Muhammad Shehu.

Mr Shehu recalled that police detectives of the command led by the state Commissioner of Police, Kolo Yusuf, earlier in connection with post-governorship election violence, arrested 40 suspects and recovered some of the looted and vandalised property worth millions of naira.

“In the course of the investigation, the suspects confessed to conducting the offence and further narrated how they invaded APC campaign offices belonging to Senator Kabiru Marafa and Senator Hassan Dan’iya and looted property worth millions of naira,” he added.

According to him, the command also arrested a wanted notorious bandit who, until his arrest,  terrorised Zamfara and its environs.

“On March 29  at about 03:30 a.m.,  police operatives, while on patrol, acted on intelligence information and arrested the suspect mentioned earlier, who was already on the wanted list of the police for banditry, kidnapping, and other heinous crimes against people of the state.

“The suspect confessed to a series of attacks and kidnapping on different communities of the state, with millions of naira collected as ransom,” he added.

He further added that the command arrested two suspects for being in possession of 18 rustled cows, three goats, and one sheep.

“On Friday, March 31, police, while on patrol, acted on intelligence information and intercepted and arrested three Toyota buses loaded with suspected stolen cows, sheep, and goats from Dansadau town in Maru Local Government Area to Gusau, the state capital.

“Sighting the police, suspects attempted to abandon the vehicles and exhibits to escape, but they were rounded up and arrested by the police operatives,” he said.

He said the suspects were currently undergoing a discreet investigation that would lead to the arrest of their collaborators.

Mr Shehu added, “On Friday, March 31,  police detectives, while on patrol, arrested one of the suspected notorious members of Sara – Suka terrorising Gusau and its environs.”

“The commissioner of police lauds people of the state for their support and partnership to the command.” 

(NAN)