Crime
30-Year-Old Woman Arrested For Hiding AK47, Magazines In Sack Of Garri
Yusuf admitted that a notorious bandit named Aminu Basullube, who has been terrorizing the Katsina area
Abuja, Nigeria- A 30-year-old woman, identified as Hauwa Yusuf, has been arrested by operatives of the Special Tactical Squad for allegedly hiding an AK-47 rifle and four AK magazines inside a sack of garri.
During a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, August 16, the Nigeria Police Force spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, announced the arrest of Hauwa Yusuf. Yusuf, a 30-year-old resident of Dutsin-Ma LGA in Katsina State, was apprehended on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway during a stop-and-search operation.
“On August 14, 2024, based on intelligence, operatives of the STS intercepted Yusuf while she was traveling from Lafia in Nasarawa State to Katsina State in a Sienna Bus along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway. A search of her belongings revealed an AK-47 rifle without a serial number and four AK magazines hidden inside a white sack of garri,” Adejobi stated.
“During interrogation, Yusuf admitted that a notorious bandit named Aminu Basullube, who has been terrorizing the Katsina area, had sent her to collect the arms from Danum Madam Camp in Katsina State.”
When questioned by reporters, Yusuf claimed ignorance of the contents of the sack.
“I didn’t know it was a gun inside. They asked me to go and bring millet, but instead, they gave me garri. Even when I saw the item, I was worried. I was paid ₦130,000 to transport the garri to Katsina, with ₦15,000 as my transport fare. I made a mistake by not asking questions,” she said.
In another case, Adejobi disclosed that on April 29, a team of operatives from the FID-STS was deployed to Igbowo in Oyo State to investigate the activities of Musa Saidu.
The investigation revealed that Saidu had been absent from his community in Kigakwu, Kaduna State, for five years. Upon his return, he began spending large sums of money, purchasing new motorcycles (Bajaj) and twelve cows in a single day, amounting to ₦5,000,000.
“During interrogation, Saidu confessed to various crimes, including working under the leadership of one Haruna in the Birnin Gwari forest of Kaduna State, where he used AK-47 rifles. He admitted to receiving twenty-five cows as proceeds from his criminal activities, which he sold in Kaduna for ₦4,700,000. With this money, he purchased the motorcycles and twelve cows in Igboho, Oyo State,” Adejobi reported.
Saidu explained that he became a cattle rustler after his own cattle were stolen. He added that he was arrested after returning home to enjoy the proceeds of his crimes.
“I went to Oyo because there were too many problems in Kaduna. My cattle were rustled, and although I know cattle rustling is a crime, I did it because of what was done to me. After making money, I stopped and went back to the village to spend it,” Saidu said.
