Suspected Bandit arrested by Police Intelligence Response Team IRT exposes group secret operations
Suspected Bandit arrested by Police Intelligence Response Team IRT exposes group secret operations
Murtala Mohammed, a suspected bandit and kidnapper, has claimed that joining a group of bandits is not a matter of personal choice but rather a consequence of residing in an area where criminal activities are prevalent.
According to Mohammed, once an individual lives in such a region, they are effectively drawn into banditry, with criminal camps serving as insular, highly guarded locations where novices and outsiders are unwelcome.
These camps, he explained, function as training grounds where children learn the basics of criminal activity.
Mohammed was among several suspects recently paraded in Abuja for alleged involvement in banditry and kidnapping. During the parade, law enforcement recovered an AK-47 rifle, three magazines, and ammunition from him.
His arrest followed credible intelligence gathered by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) regarding his criminal activities.
Mohammed lived with other suspected bandits in the border region between Kano and Katsina states.
Reports indicate that his three biological brothers were also bandits before being killed, while two of his three sisters are married to bandits.
His eldest brother had been arrested multiple times by various bandit groups and previously detained by the IRT.
While in custody, this brother reportedly pledged to cooperate with authorities, providing information on other bandits in exchange for a vehicle.
However, he used this vehicle to transport arms across states, eventually leading to his tracking and arrest. This brother was killed in a confrontation with vigilantes, a fate that also befell Mohammed’s two other brothers.
According to Nigerian Tribune, an anonymous source disclosed that the IRT operatives, acting on information about Mohammed’s criminal activities, ventured into the remote Kusada area on the Kano-Katsina border, where bandits are known to operate.
The operatives found Mohammed with one of his two wives and arrested him.
During questioning, Mohammed confessed to possessing firearms and agreed to surrender one of them in consideration for his mother’s well-being.
The source said: “We agreed with him so as to get him red-handed. He asked us to leave his house, so we took him to another place about four kilometres away. The reason was because he didn’t want us to know where he kept the gun. He then sent his first wife to go and bring an AK-47 rifle and we waited for almost two hours before someone came with a sack on okada. The rifle had an empty magazine but we knew there was no way he would have an AK-47 rifle without bullets so we persuaded him to turn them in. We were in Kano then.
“He urged us to let him speak with his mother and we allowed him. He told his mother to go to a particular place and bring out the remaining magazines, which she did. The mother even chided us for coming to collect the rifle her son bought for almost a million naira. She asked for what we would give him to compensate him for releasing the rifle to us.”
Mohammed revealed connections to bandit camps in Zamfara and Nasarawa, admitting his previous association with the camp led by Bello Turji, a notorious bandit currently evading capture.
During his confession, Mohammed recounted an incident where he killed a fellow bandit in a gunfight, seeking revenge for his brother’s death, which he believed was caused by his target.
Unaware that his target was guarded by two individuals in Saminaka, Kaduna State, Mohammed engaged them in gunfire.
Although he succeeded in killing one guard, the other retreated due to Mohammed’s superior firepower, and his target managed to escape.
After his arrest, Mohammed expressed a lack of remorse, telling the police that if released, he would face difficulties as he does not own land and is inexperienced in farming.
He further lamented that he had sold his cows to purchase firearms, questioning how the government expected him to give up his weapon without offering any compensation.
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President Tinubu returns to Nigeria after Abu Dhabi outing
President Tinubu returns to Nigeria after Abu Dhabi outing
President Bola Tinubu has returned to Nigeria after participating in the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW 2026).
Presidential spokesperson, Mr Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja.
The president attended the summit alongside some members of his cabinet.
On the sidelines of the summit, Nigeria signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The agreement is aimed at deepening economic cooperation, boosting bilateral trade and investment, and enhancing technology transfer.
It will also expand collaboration in key sectors, including energy, infrastructure, agriculture, mining and renewable energy.
In his address at the summit, Tinubu announced that Nigeria and the UAE would jointly host INVESTOPIA in Lagos in February.
The initiative is designed to attract global investors and accelerate sustainable investment inflows into Nigeria.
Tinubu also said Nigeria targets mobilising up to $30 billion annually in climate and green industrial finance.
He said the funds would support energy transition reforms and expand nationwide access to electricity. (NAN)
News
APC clears air on receiving letter of defection from another State Governor
APC clears air on receiving letter of defection from another State Governor
The Zamfara chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied receiving a letter from Gov. Dauda Lawal seeking to defect to the party.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there were speculations across the state over Lawal’s move to defect to APC.
A statement issued in Gusau on Saturday by the state APC Publicity Secretary, Malam Yusuf Idris, described the speculations as fabricated.
“The party came across a fabricated report purported to have emanated from one Tambarin Gusau claiming that Go Dauda Lawal has sent a letter to the party wanting to join the APC.
“The report is malicious, unfortunate, unfounded, mischievous and showed the unprofessional manner which some people can go in misleading others and causing chaos in a stable and a peaceful party like the APC.
“The APC has responsible channels where everything is done in a guided manner,” Idris said.
According to him, the party has not received any letter from Lawal as claimed through the imagination of the writer nor was the party aware of any recent moves by the governor to defect from the PDP to the APC.
“All members of the party and indeed the public especially in Zamfara should therefore disregard such report.,” Idris added.(NAN)
News
282 Passengers safe as plane makes emergency landing in Lagos
282 Passengers safe as plane makes emergency landing in Lagos
A Qatar Airways passenger plane on Friday made an emergency landing at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos after developing a technical fault mid-flight.
The aircraft, which had 248 passengers and 12 crew members on board, was forced to land abruptly after the malfunction was detected while it was operating within Nigerian airspace.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed the incident in a statement released by its Permanent Secretary, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu.
According to him, the agency was alerted to the situation through its 767 and 112 toll-free emergency lines, prompting an immediate response from emergency officials.
He explained that upon receiving the distress call, the LASEMA Response Team (LRT) was swiftly deployed to the airport to assess the situation and provide necessary support.
“Upon arrival at the scene, the LASEMA Response Team confirmed that the aircraft was in distress,” the statement noted.
“The pilot executed a safe landing on the runway at Murtala Mohammed International Airport with LASEMA Response Team and other emergency responders standing by on extreme high alert on the runway.
“Collaborative efforts of the multi-agency responders were coordinated. After proper check by the pilot and the engineering crew, the aircraft was moved to the apron for detailed inspection and prompt repairs.”
“All passengers of the distressed airplane were evacuated safely; no injuries reported, no loss of lives,” the statement said.
Despite the technical issue and the emergency landing, the agency stated that there was the aircraft experienced no major damage.
“The aircraft has been secured on the apron. Recovery activities have been completed,” the statement added.
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