Police nab impersonators of Bauchi gov, 185 suspected robbers

The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested 185 suspected armed robbers, kidnappers and other criminals, including two persons who impersonated the governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Muhammed, and defrauded innocent citizens of N37 million, which was supposed to be payment for Hajj.

The state Commissioner of Police, Habu Sani, who paraded the suspects yesterday at the police headquarters in Bauchi, said one of them by name, Sukni Zakka, acted as the personal assistant to the governor while the other, Iliyasu Ibrahim alias “Du” acted as the governor, during phone conversations.

He said the command’s tactical teams attached to the Operation Puff Adder, between the months of August and September, 2019, arrested the suspects in connection with armed robbery, kidnapping, cattle rustling, Babeli activities, vandalism and theft of electric cables.

The police boss noted that out of 185 suspects arrested, 138 have been charged to court while 47 are still in the command’s custody undergoing investigation.

He added that during the operations the command recovered four AK-47 rifles, one pistol, one locally made sub machine gun, 17 assorted firearms, 65 live ammunition, five cartridges, six pellets, 42 machetes, four vehicles and eight motorcycles.

The police commissioner assured people of the state that the command will not relent in performing its statutory responsibility of protecting lives and property of all citizens. He appealed for more information that could help to rid the state of criminals.

In a chat with newsmen, the impersonator, 33-year- old Iliyasu Ibrahim, resident of Jos, Plateau State confessed to the crime, saying, “I was acting on the instruction of my friend, who acted as the Personal Assistant (PA). He is the one that introduced me to the issues of intending pilgrims and initially I told him that I was afraid of acting as the governor of Bauchi State, but he insisted’’.

He added, “The PA got people to call me from Jos and I was staying in his house here in Bauchi, where I received phone calls. I only told our clients to exercise patience about the Hajj and directed them to discuss with the PA. I regret my action and plead for mercy.”

On his part, Zakka, said, “I was an aide to Governor Bala Muhammed, when he was a senator and minister of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, but we are no longer together’’.