By Taye Obateru & Adetola Adeniyi

Jos— The Plateau State Police Command has arrested 11 persons for allegedly specializing in stealing police service rifles and selling them. The principal suspect, Nanfir Nanfa allegedly broke into the homes of a sergeant and a constable to steal two AK 47 rifles and sold them.

Parading the suspects on Wednesday, state Police Commissioner, Mr. Ikechukwu  Aduba said the gun stealing syndicate was smashed through intelligence reports while another four-man gang of suspected burglars and receivers of stolen items was smashed.

He alleged that Nanfa initially stole a service rifle from a sergeant after breaking into his apartment and sold it for only N250,000. He later stole another from a mobile police constable which he sold to a village head in Langtang South Local Government Area for N260,000.

Nanfa told newsmen that he often capitalized on the failure of the policemen to heed the directive of the Inspector General of Police to surrender their arms and ammunition to the armoury when they are off duty by breaking into their apartments to steal them.

The commissioner said  two AK47 rifles and ammunition, three telephone handsets and one laptop computer were recovered from the suspects.

He said three members of the other syndicate broke into a warehouse in Anglo-Jos area and stole Caterpillar parts valued at N2.4 million which they sold to a receiver for just N50,000. The receiver was paraded with them.

He said the suspects would be charged to court on completion of investigations and urged the public to continue to furnish the police with useful information that would complement their crime-fighting efforts in the state