On Monday, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) announced the arrest of eleven alleged bandits and food suppliers in Sokoto State.
The suspects were claimed to be working in the Tureta and Dange/Shuni Local Government Areas of the North-Western state’s Southern Senatorial District.
According to the NSCDC, two of the suspects admitted to taking part in multiple attacks, including a recent one on Lambar Tureta and a separate incident on Dabagi Haske in which eight people were killed.
While two other individuals accused of supplying food to bandits and providing intelligence to the bandits to facilitate their operations confessed to the offenses, seven others admitted to being involved in cattle rustling in the Rabba and Wurno Local Government Areas.
The culprits were caught with the help of a vigilante group in the state’s Wurno Local Government Area, according to the NSCDC Commandant, Muhammad Saleh-Dada.
He claimed the seven cattle rustlers terrorized Rabba and Wurno local councils before being apprehended with over 40 cows, adding that security personnel are keeping the livestock retrieved from the accused.
Some of the bandits, who admitted to taking part in numerous activities, claimed they were hired by the bandits’ group’s commanders and were only paid N10,000.
They also claimed a desire to lead security operatives to the banditry commanders for whom they operate.
The suspects will be given over to the Department of State Services (DSS) or sent to court for prosecution at the conclusion of the inquiry, according to the NSCDC.
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