The Zamfara State Community Protection Guards, also known as Askarawan Zamfara, have arrested nine suspects linked to banditry and other criminal activities across the state.
The suspects, who were paraded in Gusau on Wednesday, included suspected bandits, informants, logistics suppliers, drug dealers and a man accused of posing as a lawyer.
The arrests were made through intelligence-driven operations carried out in different parts of the state.
The commandant of the Community Protection Guards, retired AIG Shehu Dalijan, disclosed this while presenting the suspects to journalists.
He said the arrests followed information obtained from suspects who had been operating within different criminal camps.
One of those arrested was 20-year-old Abubakar Malan Ori, who admitted spending several months in the camp of notorious bandit leader Kachalla Gwaska.
According to the guards, Ori took part in criminal operations in Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger states, as well as the Niger Republic. He also disclosed that more than N226 million was collected as ransom from several kidnapping operations.
Two other suspects, Mamman Haruna and Aliyu Lawali, allegedly provided information about their involvement in cattle rustling and attacks carried out with other notorious bandit leaders.
The guards also arrested Ibrahim Mafindi Titus, described as a bandit doctor. He allegedly treated injured members of criminal groups using medical supplies obtained from outside Nigeria.
Other suspects paraded included alleged informants, logistics suppliers and drug merchants.
Another suspect, Mustapha Muhammed, was accused of impersonating a legal practitioner and allegedly collecting money from the relative of a detainee outside the Community Protection Guards headquarters.
