The Nigerian Army said troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) on Operation Hakorin Damisa IV have arrested 17 criminal suspects in connection with murder, kidnapping and armed robbery, recovering arms, ammunition and illicit drugs.
Captain Oya James, Media Information Officer, OPSH, in a statement, said the troops arrested five murder suspects for killing one Mr Joshua Deme on his farm at Kassa village in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.
He added that troops also carried out a sting operation at Jagindi Tasha village in Jema’a LGA, Kaduna State, where a suspected kidnapper, Mr Baba Yusuf Habu, who has been on the wanted list of OPSH, was arrested, adding that another kidnap incident was foiled at Angwan Takai village in Bokkos LGA.
According to the statement, in the same vein, the troops raided the hideout of criminals at Gwash and Kamantan villages in Jos North/Zango Kataf LGAs of Plateau and Kaduna States and recovered one pistol, cartridges and rounds of 7.62mm special.
“A notorious armed robber, Mohammed Lawal, was also arrested in Kafanchan town by troops, and two fabricated rifles and one pistol were recovered,” it said.
The troops also intercepted a truck with registration number EKY617XF conveying vandalised railway tracks along Gidan Ado village in Riyom LGA of Plateau State. A drug kingpin, Maxwell Dusu Davou, was nabbed during a sting operation with substances suspected to be illicit drugs at Plateau State in Jos South LGA.
It said a fighting patrol made contact around the Alaghom and Mangu axis, leading to neutralising some bandits, as troops recovered one AK-47 rifle and another fabricated rifle.
He further said troops seized over 237 cows within the period for farm destruction/cattle rustling activities, especially within the Mangu, Barkin Ladi, Fas and Riyom axis, and a total of 17 arrests were effected, nine victims rescued from kidnappers, six armed robbery attempts foiled and four attacks on vulnerable communities deterred within the period.
OPSH assured the people of Plateau, Bauchi and Southern Kaduna of maximum protection and continued prompt responses to all distress calls, intending to rid all criminal elements operating within these communities.
