Four bandit commanders on Thursday voluntarily surrendered their weapons that included two General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), one AK49 rifle, 24 AK 47 assault rifles, 109 GMPG ammunition, and 95 7.62mm live ammunition to the Katsina State Police Command.
The ex-bandits identified as Sale Turwa, Mani Turwa, Ado Sarki, and Sani Mai-Daji also returned 45 rustled cattle in their possession at their base in Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The Katsina State Commissioner of Police Sanusi Buba told journalists at command headquarters that their surrender is in line with Federal Government’s directive to all security agencies to clamp down on all bandits in the forest, until either they are arrested, neutralized, or forced to surrender.
The police chief said the bandits came forward unconditionally.
“It became absolutely imperative at this juncture, to warn other recalcitrant bandits, who refuse to surrender, that nobody has a monopoly of violence and that government is mightier than any person or group of persons,” Buba said.
“The Nigeria Police Force and indeed other sister security agencies will leave no stone unturned in isolating and dealing decisively with any individual or group of unrepentant bandits that refused to surrender and keep hibernating in the forest.
“The Command wishes to assure the good people of the state that banditry and other crimes will soon be history as the Security Forces are on top of the situation.
“Members of the public are hereby enjoined to partner with the security agencies by providing useful information that will lead to the arrest of bandits and their collaborators, please.”
One of the repented leaders, Ado Sarki said: “We sat and discovered that what we were doing was not good after buying large catch of arms to protect our cattle and defend ourselves.
“We hereby surrendered and distance ourselves from various bandits groups in the forest. We have nothing to do with these arms. I promised and pledged to assist security agencies in an effort to fight anyone who’s not ready to repent.”
