A 30-year-old woman, Fatima Lawali, has been arrested by the Zamfara State Police Command while trying to smuggle 991 ammunition into the camp of a notorious bandit leader who has been on security agents wanted list.
The State Commissioner of Police, CP Ayuba N. Elkanah, who paraded the suspect at the Command headquarters is Gusau on Friday, said she was nabbed on her way from Sokoto to deliver the weapons to the bandit leader known as Ado Alero, in a forest in the state when she was arrested.
Briefing newsmen during the parade of the suspect, the Police boss said:
“On 25th October, 2021, at about 0930hrs, Police Tactical Operatives of the Command in collaboration with FIB/STS led by DSP Hussaini Gimba on Tactical Operations in the state, arrested one Fatima Lawali, F, a native of K/Namoda LGA of Zamfara State,” the police commissioner said.
“Fatima specialised in supplying arms and ammunition to Bandits in Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, Katsina, and Niger states.
The suspect was arrested at Gada Biyu area, under Bungudu LGA with nine hundred and ninety-one (991) rounds of AK-47 live ammunition conveying from Dabagi Village in Sokoto State to be delivered to a notorious bandits’ kingpin called Ado Alero who has been terrorising Zamfara and neighbouring states.”
CP Elkanah noted that the Police Tactical Operatives carried out tactical operations at different bandit enclaves in the state following interrogations of the woman and other suspects arrested.
“The operations led to a serious gun battle with the bandits where unspecified numbers of bandits were fatally injured while others escaped with possible gunshot wounds,” he added.