Kwara state police command yesterday said it was investigating a member of suspected highway robbery syndicate, Bala Mohammed, from Nasarawa state, to determine whether or not his gang had links with Boko Haram.
The suspect of new guarage, Lafia Nasarawa state, according to the police, was arrested on Wednesday on Tsaragi/ Lafiagi/Yikpata road by the Command’s federal patrol team following a tip-off while four others escaped.
The syndicate, according to investigation, had allegedly succeeded in robbing 13 traders from Ilesha, Osun state, who were in the state to buy goods at the popular Gbugbu Market in Baruteen local government area of the state and dispossessed them of cash amounting to N1million.
Parading the suspect yesterday at the Command’s headquarters, Ilorin, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Ambrose Aisobor, said the police recovered two AK-47 rifles, 279 life ammunition, four magazines, five handsets, five t-shirts and local charms and the sum of N233,225, amongst others.
He said: “On investigation, it was discovered that the suspects were part of the dare-devil armed gangs terrorising the highways in and around Kwara state in recent times and were on a mission to rob people going to the Wednesday Tsaragi Market before they ran into impregnable security cordon of my men.
Speaking, one of the victims, Taiwo Olayemi, who claimed to be a student from Ile sah, Osun state, said the suspect stormed their abode around 2 am and forced their door open, while shooting sporadically and ordered them to surrender their money.
