CITY NEWS Police nab 3 over illegal ...arrest ex-convict, 4 others over firearms at Zuba village robbery at Kabusa
The FCT Police Commissioner, Sadiq Abubakar Bello, says the command has arrested 47-year-old Philip John, and two others over alleged fabrication of locally made guns at Shenagu village near Zuba, FCT.
Bello, while parading the suspects at the command headquarters on Friday, gave their names as Philip John, owner of the factory, Onyegabueze Okpara, supplier of ammunitions and Joseph Bulus, distributor of the arms.
He said the items recovered from the suspects included a locally fabricated revolver pistol cylinder, four Dane guns, one double barrel gun, one single barrel gun, two calibre live cartridge and six Dane gun muzzles.
Others included four single barrel muzzles, six barrel gun frame, two gun muzzle springs, one manual motor drill, one dice for retread and various implements used in manufacturing locally made weapons.
He said that during interrogation, John confessed to have been in the illicit business for 17 years and has been selling the fabricated single-barrel guns and Dane guns for N20,000 and N10,000 respectively.
The commissioner said Okpara, who disguised as a bicycle spare parts dealer was arrested at Kaita market with the items which he concealed and sold to criminals.
He said he confessed that he sold a pack containing 25 pieces of live cartridge for N12,000, while single cartridge went for N5,000.
Bello said that Bulus, the major link, who connects the principal suspect, John, with potential buyers of the fabricated firearms was arrested at Zuba.
He said the suspects would be charged to court on conclusion of investigations. The FCT police command has arrested an ex-convict and four others for alleged robbery at Apo roundabout and Kabusa areas of the FCT.
The police commissioner, Sadiq Abubakar Bello, who disclosed this to newsmen in his office, gave the names of the suspects as Hashiru Isiaka, 30, of Kuruduma, Umar Adamu, 20, of Area 1 Garki, Tukur Bala, 25, also of Area 1 Garki, Bashiru Mohammed, 25, of Durumi and Benjamin Jatau, 29, of Kabusa.
He said that Jatau was arrested by operatives of the command on September 15 during a stop and search at Dantata Bridge in Jabi.
Bello said items recovered from the suspect were, one revolver pistol with two rounds of live ammunition, one revolver pistol and one locally made pistol, a Nokia cell phone, Indian hemp, charms and screw driver.
“The exhibits were discovered by the police during a search conducted on the bag the suspect was carrying while on transit from Jabi to Kabusa in a tricycle,” he said.
He said that the suspect who was an exconvict confessed that the guns, which he bought for N50,000 was to be used for a major robbery operation around Kabusa and environs.
“The suspect and exhibits have been transferred to the command Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) for discreet investigation and prosecution,” he said.
He said Isiaka, Adamu, Bala and Mohammed were arrested on Sept. 2 by the SARS while responding to a distress call over a robbery at Apo roundabout.
The commissioner said that Adamu was arrested at the scene of the crime while his cohorts who fled on sighting the operatives, were also arrested on September 9, 2017.
He said that the suspects robbed and dispossessed two of their victims of N120,000 cash.
Bello said the suspects would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigation
He noted that with the support and cooperation of the public, the command would continue to track and arrest criminals in the territory.