Zamfara Guards Arrest Suspected Bandit Doctor, Informants And Others

Zamfara’s community protection guards have paraded nine suspects accused of links to banditry, ransom collection, logistics support and other criminal activity in the state.

The suspects include a man described by the guards as a bandit doctor, alleged informants, alleged logistics suppliers, suspected drug dealers and a man accused of posing as a lawyer.

The commandant of the Zamfara State Community Protection Guards, retired AIG Shehu Dalijan, said the arrests followed intelligence-led operations in different parts of the state. The suspects were presented to journalists in Gusau on Wednesday.

One of the suspects, 20-year-old Abubakar Malan Ori, was reported to have admitted spending months in the camp of a bandit leader identified as Kachalla Gwaska. The guards said he was linked to operations in Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger states, as well as Niger Republic.

Daily Post reported that the guards said more than N226 million had been collected as ransom from some of the operations discussed by the suspects. Vanguard also reported the arrest of couriers and informants accused of helping armed groups with supplies and information.

Another suspect, Ibrahim Mafindi Titus, was described as a doctor who allegedly treated injured members of criminal groups with medical supplies obtained from outside Nigeria. The reports also named other suspects accused of cattle rustling, impersonation and support roles for bandit camps.

The allegations have not been tested in court. The suspects are expected to face further investigation by the relevant security agencies.

Sources: Vanguard, Daily Post