Zamfara Community Protection Guards Nab Nine Suspects, Including Bandit Doctor

The Zamfara State Community Protection Guards (CPG), also known locally as Askarawa, recently announced the arrest of nine individuals in Gusau. Among those apprehended are suspected bandits, their informants, logistics suppliers, and even a person impersonating a legal practitioner. These arrests are the result of intelligence-driven operations conducted across the state.

Retired AIG Shehu Dalijan, the Commandant of the CPG, revealed these details yesterday during the parade of the suspects. He stated that this significant breakthrough stemmed from comprehensive confessions obtained from individuals who had been integrated within various criminal enclaves.

One of the paraded suspects is 20-year-old Abubakar Malan Ori, who admitted to spending several months embedded with the notorious bandit kingpin Kachalla Gwaska. According to Commandant Dalijan, Ori confessed to participating in criminal activities across Zamfara, Kaduna, and Niger states, as well as in the Niger Republic. He further disclosed that over N226 million was extorted as ransom from numerous abduction incidents.

Also brought before the public were Mamman Haruna and Aliyu Lawali, who detailed their involvement in large-scale cattle rustling and coordinated attacks alongside other infamous criminal leaders. The CPG’s operation also led to the capture of a suspected bandit doctor, Ibrahim Mafindi Titus, who was responsible for treating wounded insurgents using medical supplies sourced from international channels.

Other individuals apprehended include those identified as informants, logistics providers, and drug traffickers. A notable arrest was Mustapha Muhammed, an impersonator accused of extorting money from a relative of a detainee outside the CPG headquarters.

Commandant Dalijan reaffirmed the state’s security architecture’s unwavering resolve to dismantle criminal networks and restore peace and order to the region. He also confirmed that the arrested suspects would soon be transferred to the appropriate prosecuting agencies for further legal proceedings.