Kano police parade phone theft, bank fraud suspects

The police in Kano said they have smashed a syndicate of mobile phone thieves who allegedly operate in Sharada, Sauna and Sabon Gari quarters of Kano Metropolis.

Kano has a high rate of mobile phone snatching with some of the cases leading to the death of victims who attempted to resist the thieves.

The police spokesperson in the state, Abdullahi Haruna, in a statement on Tuesday said officers arrested suspects in an operation that followed complaints by residents of increasing incidence of phone snatching in the named areas.

Mr Haruna gave the names of the suspects in police custody as Nura Muhammad (18), Yusuf Dayyabu (20), Nura Danladi (20), Abdulkarim Abubakar (18), Imrana Salisu (19) and Friday Andrew ( 20).

Also in custody are Mustapha Dahiru (18), Ibrahim Salisu (22), Najib Ibrahim (28), Dahiru Abdullahi (20), Ya’u Abdullahi (20) and Yusuf Sadiq (18).

“Based on reports from residents of Sharada, Sauna and Sabon Gari Quarters of Kano Metropolis that Mobile Phone Snatching/Robbery Syndicate relocated to these areas, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, CP Habu A. Sani, psc, raised and instructed a team of operation Puff Adder, led by SP Bashir Musa Gwadabe, to arrest the perpetrators.

“All the suspects confessed being part of Robbery and Phone Snatching Syndicates. All of them were arrested in possession of Dangerous Weapons. The suspects also confessed being addicts of intoxicating drugs,” Mr Haruna said in the statement.

The police spokesperson said some ‘notable drug dealers’ were also arrested with exhibits during the raid.

He identified them as Umar Sharif (25), who was arrested with 137 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be lndian hemp, Gambo Idris (40) with 97 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, Ghali Alhassan (25) with 11 bags of Exol tablets and seven sachets of Diazepam, and Barau Umar (20) with six satchets of Diazepam.

The suspects, according to Mr Haruna, confessed they sell intoxicants to thugs (Yan Daba).

Suspected bank account fraudsters

Mr Haruna said the police also arrested six suspects accused of stealing a Samsung Galaxy phone and using the SIM card to withdraw money from account of the phone owner .

“On 03/10/2020, at about 1700hrs, one Abdulsalam Isah ‘m’ of Gwagwarwa Quarters, Kano, reported that an unknown person stole his Samsung Galaxy T5 pro Handset valued One Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira (N180,000.00) and on the 05/10/2020, the suspect used the SIM card of the stolen Handset and withdrew money from his account, the sum of Three Hundred and Thirty Thousand Naira (N330,000.00).

“Upon receiving the complaint, the Command’s Commissioner of the Police CP Habu A. Sani, psc raised and instructed a team of Operation Puff Adder, led by DSP Shehu Dahiru, to arrest the perpetrators,” Mr Haruna said.

The PPRO identified the suspects as Kabiru Adamu (24) from Kaduna State, Najib Suraj (29) of Sharada Quarters, Kano, Naziru Aminu (23) of Sharada Quarters, Kano, Auwalu Usman (22) from Kaduna state, Mustapha Mohammed (22) of Rimin Kebbe Quarters, Kano and Abdullahi Husseini (27) of Tudun Murtala Quarters, Kano.

He said the slolen mobile phone was recovered.

Suspected fraudster

The police also arrested 19-year old Umar Isa of Kankia local government of Katsina state for allegedly defrauding Auwalu Abdulmalik and Buhari Yusuf of N333,000.

He said the suspect has also threatened to kidnap the daughters of the victims if they failed to send him more money.

Mr Haruna said all the suspects will be charged to court after thorough investigation.