Photos: Killers of ex-Zamfara governorship aspirant, 21 others nabbed

The police have arrested two suspected killers of Mr. Sagir Hamidu, a former Zamfara State gubernatorial aspirant and owner of Famak British Schools.

Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this in a statement on Friday at the Police Headquarters in Abuja.

The suspects – 22-year-old Sani Usman and 23-year-old Mohammed Tijjani – both from Pai Konkore, Gwagwalada in the Federal Capital Territory, were apprehended in connection with a case of kidnapping and armed robbery along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, according to the police.

Adejobi explained that the suspects were arrested along with 21 others by the Force Intelligence Bureau Intelligence Response Team (FIB-IRT) for culpable homicide, armed robbery, kidnapping, arms trafficking, possession of prohibited firearms, and rape, among others.

He said “Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects (Usman and Tijjani) were part of the bandit syndicate which carried out the attack on travellers at Rijana, along the Kaduna – Abuja expressway on Sunday, November 21, 2021, in which they gruesomely murdered an ex-Zamfara State gubernatorial aspirant and owner of Famak British Schools, Alhaji Sagir Hamidu, and kidnapped a nursing mother leaving her baby behind in a nearby bush”.

The police spokesman added that two other suspects, 48-years-old Badong Audu of Namu village in Plateau State, and 44-year-old Chimezie Okolie of Ekwusigo in Anambra State, were arrested following credible intelligence of an impending arms movement from Jos, through Nasarawa State, to the eastern part of the country.

“The FIB-IRT operatives swung into action and apprehended Badong Audu on 26th April 2022 at Namu Village with two AK47 rifles and 51 rounds of live ammunition concealed in a bag of beans.

“Investigations led to the arrest of the receiver, Chimezie Okolie, at Nasarawa State, where he was waiting to take delivery of the arms and ammunition.

“The gallant operatives of the FIB-IRT, acting on a tip-off that a DAF Truck carrying 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), had been hijacked at Saminaka Village, Niger State at gunpoint and the occupants abducted, equally mobilised and intercepted the hoodlums at Lambata Area of Niger State, where the truck was recovered, and four suspects were arrested.

“The operatives, with the aid of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers’ Association, Suleja Depot, were able to recover the PMS which had been discharged by the suspects,” the police spokesman added.

He explained further that the FIB-IRT recovered 52 firearms including a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) launcher, a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), 36 AK47 rifles, two English shotguns, five locally-made shotguns, five locally-made automatic pistols, four pump-action shotguns, 2,045 rounds of live ammunition of different calibres, one DAF Truck loaded with 45,000 litres of petrol, and two vehicles, among others during follow-up investigations.

Reacting , the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, lauded the FIB-IRT operatives for the successes recorded.

Baba assured Nigerians that the police would dutifully follow up on established cases by conclusively investigating them in a bid to bring all persons found wanting to justice.

“All the suspects will be arraigned in court on completion of investigations,” the statement concluded.