By Festus Fifen

The Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police Force’s Force Intelligence Department says it has arrested several suspects linked to banditry financing, car snatching and armed robbery, recovering five pistols, a motorcycle and a car in operations across Kaduna and Plateau states.

Briefing journalists in Abuja, the IRT Commander, DCP Adamu Saidu Muazu, who outlined the team’s efforts to dismantle criminal networks and combat kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery and other violent crimes across the country said the operations were part of intelligence-led efforts to dismantle criminal networks involved in kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery and terrorism-related crimes.

Highlighting the successes recorded DCP Muazu said on August 29, operatives arrested Nura Umar, 20, of Kidandan, and Alhaji Rabiu Aliyu, 58, of Zaria, Kaduna State. Police say they supply motorcycles to bandits and are linked to suspected terrorism financing.

Muazu said the suspects confessed to supplying several motorcycles to bandits in the Kaduna and Katsina axis. A Honda CV-125 motorcycle without a registration number was recovered as an exhibit. Both are undergoing interrogation to establish the full extent of their involvement and identify accomplices and the financial channels used.

In a separate operation on Oct. 12, at about 8:30 p.m., operatives acting on human and technical intelligence arrested Abdullah Abubakar, a suspected “one chance” robber and car snatcher. Police said he had earlier served a 13-year jail term for a similar offence.

The gang is accused of terrorising Kaduna and its environs, strangling Keke Napep (tricycle) and motorcycle owners and carting away their valuables.

The IRT commander said Abubakar named one of his gang leaders, identified as Boniface, who is currently in Kaduna Prison, and led operatives to a hideout where the gang kept its weapons. Two pistols were recovered after operatives obtained a warrant.

The suspect also allegedly confessed that the gang snatched several vehicles in Kaduna and its environs and sold them to receivers in Kano, Kaduna and the Niger Republic.

Two alleged receivers, Yusuf Mohammed and Bala Ibrahim, both of Kaduna, were arrested. Police said Mohammed received robbed vehicles and delivered them to Niger via Sokoto through a man identified as Dahiru, who is still at large. Ibrahim reportedly received stolen motorcycles and tricycles.

Speaking further, DCP Muazu said On November 2, at about 3:30 p.m., IRT operatives on special duty in Jos, Plateau State, arrested three suspects: Benjamin Okafor, 38; Moses Akintuwi, 41; and Emmanuel Maikarfi, all residents of Jos. They are alleged to be involved in kidnapping and armed robbery.

He added that the suspects robbed a victim at gunpoint of ₦200,000 and snatched his unregistered 2015 Toyota Corolla. They also allegedly took a laptop, three mobile phones and three ATM cards, then withdrew ₦800,000 from the victim’s accounts.

Exhibits recovered include three locally fabricated pistols, one cartridge and the Toyota Corolla. Police said investigations are ongoing to arrest other members of the gang, and the suspects are being interrogated over possible involvement in other kidnappings and the source and intended use of the weapons.

In sensitising the public, DCP Muazu said effective crime control requires dismantling criminal networks, cutting off their funding, recovering illegal weapons and prosecuting offenders. It pledged to strengthen intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration and investigative capacity.

DCP Muazu urged the public to provide credible and timely information to security agencies and to avoid spreading unverified information that could compromise investigations.

He said the Inspector-General of Police remains committed to intelligence-driven policing and to ensuring that offenders are brought to justice “irrespective of their status or affiliations.”