The Borno police command said it arrested 85 suspects for alleged rape, homicide, armed robbery and other criminal activities between October and December 2023.

Spokesman Daso Nahum, who disclosed this in a statement in Maiduguri on Thursday, said the command recorded 49 cases and got 27 suspects convicted.

Fourteen cases were under investigation, while 31 others were charged in court, said the statement and that four suspects were arrested on December 31, 2023, by the Joint Anti-vice Unit for alleged criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, possession of dangerous weapons, and Indian hemp.

The command explained that the exhibits recovered from the suspects included dried leaves suspected to be Indian Hemp, one sword, two pots used for inhaling an intoxicant locally called shisha, one stick and five mobile phones.

It said the suspects were under investigation for diligent prosecution.

“On December 28 2023, at about 0948hrs, operatives of State Intelligence Bureau (SIB), acting on credible information, apprehended one Fatima Abatcha aka Bintu of Shehuri South Maiduguri, who had earlier been declared wanted for serial offences of theft of mobile phones.

“During the course of the the investigation, she revealed her accomplice, one Mohammed Isa, from the the Babban Layi area of the metropolis. The modus operandi of the syndicate is visiting residential houses as house help and stealing mobile phones of the unsuspected house owner,” said the statement.

“One Techno LC6 phone was recovered as exhibit while the case is still under investigation to arrest the receivers and will be prosecuted.

“On December 31, 2023, one Abubakar Modu, Keke NAPEP driver, 23, reported to GRA Police Station Maiduguri that he was riding his tricycle looking for passengers when one unknown person boarded his tricycle (NAPEP) at Circular Road Junction.

“The person told him that he had some properties at Old GRA Calabar Street to pick up. On reaching the place, he saw the properties by the roadside, including an Elepaq generator, one tiger generator, an air conditioner, and one fridge compressor.

“All items were conveyed in the tricycle, heading to the Bulabulin bypass area, but the Keke driver, who suspected the items of having been stolen, stopped his tricycle at Nursing Home Hospital Damboa Road and raised the alarm to security men at the gate. The suspect took to flight and abandoned the stolen properties. The case is still under investigation to arrest the fleeing suspect.

“In the same vein, the command’s operatives on FOB Biu, in collaboration with that of Biu Division, hunters of Miringa village, arrested one Shuaibu Saleh of Berum village Biu LGA in possession of a locally made pistol. The suspect confessed to having acquired a locally made pistol from one Abubakarof Kalimbo village, Babangida LGA of Yobe; efforts are ongoing to arrest Abubakar,” the police said.

According to him, the command also arrested eight suspected Malian gang members during the Christmas and New Year festive season.

The statement said the arrest was made during a raid on suspected criminal hideouts in Mairi, Fori, Tashan Bama and Gwange.

(NAN)