Following strict orders by the Inspector General of
Police, Ibrahim Idris to his Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and other
operational apparatus of the police, the mastermind of the Fulani herdsmen
responsible for the recent attacks in Benue State, was arrested by the police.
The
Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations, DIG Joshak Habillah,
who made this disclosure on behalf of the IGP said the mastermind was arrested
after deploying the most advanced technology and trailing him for more than
three weeks.
The
suspect, who was identified as 40-year-old Alhaji Laggi, was arrested by operatives
of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at the
Tunga Forrest in Nasarawa State.
Aside Laggi, the police authorities said four other principal suspects were
arrested between February 16 to 19 also in Tunga town, Nasarawa State, in
possession of AK47 rifles and other prohibited arms.
The
four suspects were arrested in connection to the killing of Sergeant Solomon
Dung, other police officers and many innocent citizens in Benue State.
While
Laggi was fingered as the mastermind, the other four were identified as Mallam
Mumini Abdullahi, 34, Muhammed Adamu, 30 and Ibrahim Sule, 32.
During
preliminary interrogations, the suspects confessed to the killings and
mentioned their fleeing gang members who are in possession of the police rifles
they took from the cops they murdered.
Already
the police said serious follow up is in progress in Benue, Taraba and Benue
States.
It
would be recalled that the IGP had given the Marching orders on Sunday by
deploying three additional Police Mobile Force units (PMF) following the recent
killings of citizens in the Zurmi area of Zamfara State.
The
additional deployment brought to 10 the PMF units dispatched to the state in
the recent time to augment the personnel of the Zamfara State Police Command,
to maintain law and order and sustain the normalcy that has been restored in
Zurmi and other parts of the state.
The
IGPhad also dispatched a high-powered joint investigation team headed by an
assistant inspector general of police.
He
also ordered the arrest of the perpetrators just as he placed commissioners of
police, assistant general of police in the state contiguous to Zamfara State on
red alert.
According
to the IGP, the mandate of the joint police investigation was to arrest and
bring to justice the perpetrators of the killings, investigate the incident in
totality with a view to unravelling the remote and direct causes of the
unfortunate killings and prevent occurrence of such in the future.
They
were also mandated to arrest and disarm all suspected bandits, militias and
criminal groups in possession of prohibited firearms and restricted weapons in
the region.
Comments