THE Police High Command, on Tuesday revealed how its operatives arrested a dismissed officer of the Nigerian Air Force who has been supplying military camouflage and other accoutrements that belong to security operatives to bandits terrorising Zamfara State.
The police explained that the former NAF personnel, Ahmed Mohammed, attached to the Air Force Base, Kaduna, only served in the air force for just five years before he was court-martialled by the military for a yet-to-be-revealed offence.
Spokesman of the police, Muyiwa Adejobi, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, also disclosed that the dismissed personnel introduced sales of military camouflage and other accoutrements to Mushiri Abubakar who had supplied different camps of criminal gangs.
Adejobi said the duo had in the past supplied military camouflage to the notorious bandit, Bello Turji, and his gang members who have been terrorising the State.
Parading the suspects at the headquarters of Special Tactical Squad-Intelligence Response Team in Abuja, the police spokesman listed items recovered from both Mohammed and Abubakar as 10 sets of military camouflage uniforms and 10 pieces camel pack
Other items recovered include: 2 military hats, 3 cardigans, 3 T-shirts, 2 belts and 3 anklets, adding that they were intercepted when they were transporting the items from Kaduna to Zamfara for bandits.
The senior police officer said, “On 20/12/2023 at about 1230hrs the operatives of the FID-STS intercepted the movement of military accoutrements from Kaduna to Zamfara state precisely Shinkafi LGA.
“In the process, a spot search was conducted and the following items were recovered; 10 sets of military camouflage uniforms, 10 pieces of camel pack, 12 military hats, 3 cardigans, 3 t-shirts, 2 belts, and 3 anklets.
“The two suspects were arrested. The Mushiri Abubakar is a childhood friend of one Air Force personnel attached to the Air Force base in Kaduna state who served for only five years before being court marshalled and introduced the idea of selling military accoutrements to Mushiri Abubakar.
“Further investigation revealed that same Mushiri Abubakar had supplied military materials to the Notorious Bello Turji.
Speaking further, the police spokesman told journalists that the operatives had resolved to dismantle the criminal syndicate, particularly those supplying arms and ammunition to bandits before going after the main criminals.
According to him, the bandits were powerless if they were not holding guns and other ammunition, stressing that the network of how they get sophisticated weapons to intimidate innocent citizens would be first destroyed.
