By David Odama

LAFIA – Nasarawa State Command of the Nigeria pice said on Friday that it has arrested 17 political thugs, and recovered 13 firearms, 22 ammunition during the last general elections in the state.

Commissioner of Police, CP Maiyaki Baba who disclosed this while parading the suspects in Lafia said the synergy, on the eve of the March 18 governorship and state House of Assembly election between the military operatives patrolling along Umaisha, Toto Local Government Area led to the interception of a Toyota pickup vehicle and a Toyota Sienna loaded with persons suspected to be political thugs.

” A thorough search was conducted on them where two English pump action guns, nine locally fabricated guns, twenty live cartridges, twenty-four handsets of different brands, two unregistered vehicles, fifteen pairs of deserts booths a bag containing belt, bulletproof jackets,”.

According to CP Baba who was represented by the Public Relation Officer, DSP Ramhan Nansel, the police operatives attached to Masaka Division on March 15, at 2035hrs acting on credible information about two suspected armed robbers were arrested.

He said the suspected armed robbers have been on the wanted list of the Command for various offences, Police operatives were deployed to their hideout located at Angwan Police, Masaka where they were arrested.

“Consequently, one locally fabricated Beretta pistol was recovered from them as an exhibit, upon cross–examination, they confessed to have carried out many armed robbery operation within Masaka and its environs,” he added.

CP Baba further disclosed that a gang of two men, armed with dangerous weapons were arrested for attempting to kill one Ali Misalam in Toto LGA for allegedly initiating their mother into witchcraft.

A breakdown of the arrest showed that 17 suspected political thugs, 2 armed robbery suspects, 2 cases of attempted culpable homicide, 2 vehicles recovered, 13 firearm and ammunition were recovered.

Baba warned criminals coming into Nasarawa to look elsewhere as the Command would not be beaten by the antics of the criminal in the state.

“The command would rather continue to modulate its enormous security measures in order to be several miles ahead of the men of the underworld trying to take cover in Nasarawa “, the CP declared