Police Arrests Two Suspected Counterfeit Currency Syndicates, Parades 24 Others

By Jide Afolabi, Jos

The Nigeria Police, Plateau State Command has arrested and paraded two currency counterfeit syndicates and 24 others bothering on various allegations.

The suspects were paraded at the Police Headquarters in Jos on Friday. The suspects were alleged to have engaged in counterfeit currency, culpable homicides, armed robbery, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, cultism and trafficking in persons and others.

In a press briefing by the Commissioner of Police of the Command, CP Isaac Akinmoyede, Psc held in his office, said that the Command was ready to reduce crimes in the state as we approach the festive seasons.

The CP said that the Command arrested one Isa Ibrahim 30years old ‘m’ of Mayobelwa Adamawa state and Danjuma Yilbis 38years ‘m’ of Ron, Bokkos LGA, Plateau state with thirty (30) bundles and fourteen (14) half bundles of one thousand naira (N1, 000) counterfeit notes totalling about sixteen million naira (N16, 000, 000).

Akinmoyede told journalists that ten suspects were arrested in a case of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide in Nwur village of Zamko area in Langtang North LGA of Plateau state. The victim, Nden Gungnim ‘m’ 35 years was accused of being a wizard to a forest in Nwur. According to the CP, the deceased was “tortured, killed and buried in the shallow grave there”. The suspects, Domven Zwalchir, Singtak Dangnap, Gilmak Jamda, Timchang Gungtim, Selkap Danjuma, Nimdip Zwalbin, Nantim Jamda, and Danjuma Fankur all confessed to the commission of the crime. The deceased body has been exhumed and taken to the Langtang General Hospital for Autopsy.

Also arrested were four suspects in a case of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and receiving stolen property. Suspects arrested were Victor Dogara, Isa Auta, Kenneth Oche, and Zaradeen Abdul-Karim. One locally made pistol and two live cartridges ammunition were recovered from the suspects.

Also, three suspects were arrested in another case of criminal conspiracy and armed robbery in Wase LGA of Plateau state. The suspects, Babale Bala, Ladip Philip, and Babawuro Manga were alleged to have robbed one Dahiru Umar of his Boxers Motorcycle and shot the victim and his brother along Wase/Lanba road. The suspects have confessed to the commission of the crime and would be charged to court very soon.

Also arrested was an alleged notorious cultist, Benjamin Stephen in a case of unlawful possession of firearms. The suspect who is a resident of Gada Biu area of Jos North LGA was alleged to have been in possession of a locally-made revolver pistol. Another notorious cultist, Ugochukwu Nwosu was also arrested in Jenta area of Jos North LGA. He was also alleged to have been in possession of two locally made pistols a d five cartridges.

Akinmoyede also stated that five suspects were arrested in a case of criminal conspiracy and trafficking in persons. He noted that all the arrests were made in the last three weeks.

He said that the Command would “down-strengthening the office personnel and deploying them to the field” in order to curb crime associated with the ember months. He added that the dialogue approach being used by the Command has been productive in resolving religion, tribal and chieftaincy disputes.

CP appealed to “good people of the state to shun acts of extrajudicial killing by way of reprisal attacks” encouraging whoever is offended to report to the for investigation and possible prosecution.