The police have arrested a gang of armed robbery suspects for allegedly stealing items and cash worth N3.45 million in Bauchi State.

The commissioner of police in the state, Abiodun Alabi, made this known on Friday at a news briefing shortly after parading the suspects before reporters in Bauchi.

Mr Alabi said that the arrest was made possible through the collaborative effort of the police and the state’s peace and security committee.

He explained that the items allegedly stolen by the suspects, which included jewellery, motorcycles, plasma televisions, phones and laptops, were worth N3.16 million while the cash stolen was N290,000.

The CP listed some items recovered to include four plasma televisions, one Samsung laptop, three android phones, one digital camera and a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD).

“Suspects arrested in connection to the crime include 20-year-old Abdullahi Hashim, alias ‘Ranga of Zango-Bauchi; Shuaibu Nasir, alias ‘Baba cizo’ of Zango-Bauchi; and Ahmed Abdulahi, alias ‘Mission’ of Nasarawa-Bauchi.

“Others are Al-amin Dahiru, alias ‘Target’ of Jahun-Bauchi; Mohammed Ismail, alias ‘K2’ of Federal Low-cost, Bauchi; and Aliyu Adamu, alias ‘Daba’ of Jahun, Bauchi.

“The suspects criminally armed themselves with dangerous weapons, broke into houses at Zango, attacked the occupants and robbed them of valuable items.

“On receipt of the case, our team of detectives swung into action and eventually arrested two among the receivers and recovered some of the items,” the CP said.

Mr Alabi noted that the suspects had confessed to having committed the crimes, adding that the crime amounted to criminal conspiracy, house trespass, burglary and armed robbery, for which the suspects would be charged to court accordingly.

In another development, the CP revealed that the police operatives on March 30, in collaboration with ‘Danga’ security personnel, had a gun battle with some suspected bandits and kidnappers in Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi.

He said that the gun battle led to the death of two of the suspects while others escaped with bullet wounds.

Mr Alabi highlighted the exhibits recovered as an AK-47 rifle with breech number 357843, a single barrel gun, 16 live ammunition of 7.62mm calibre, cutlasses and knives.

Others included two motorcycles with registration number: TRN 762 QP, and KEY 322 QL, respectively, large caches of bows and arrows, one Techno handset and a substantial quantity of substance suspected to be cannabis.