From Billy Graham Abel, Yola
The Adamawa State Police Command has dislodged a criminal gang hideout at Damare, Maiha Local Government Area of the State.
The police, during the crackdown, killed three of the criminal elements, rescued four kidnapped residents of Holma and Sorou communities in Song and Maiha local governments, respectively, recovered two AK-47 rifles and a pump action gun, among other items.
This was contained in a press statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Suleiman Nguroje, at the weekend, in Yola, the Adamawa state capital.
The police command said it has rescued four people unharmed, including, a 50-year-old woman, Hafsatu Musa, two 20-year-old men, Idirisa Hammadu and Abdul Adamu, and a 22-year-old, Musa Hammadu, from the den of kidnappers.
The statement reads in part: “Further to the Command’s renewed commitment to enhance proactive strategies on 30/7/2022, the Command disconnected a criminal network at Damare Hill, connecting part of Holma and Sorau in Song and Maiha local government areas.
“The operation, which was carried out by the Command operatives attached to Sorau Division and the Hunters at Damare Hill, a community situated at a remote site of Sorau District Holma Village in Maiha and Song local government areas and border of Cameroon Republic, yielded positive result.
“The successes were as a result of the follow-up strategy designed by the command, to checkmate cases of kidnapping, armed robbery, cattle rustling and unlawful possession of firearms, amongst others. The suspected kidnappers, upon sighting our men, engaged them in a gun duel, as a result three of them were neutralised, others escaped with bullet wounds, while the following hostages, Hafsatu Musa, 50 years, Idirisa Hammadu, 20, Abdul Adamu, 20, and Musa Hammadu, 22 years, all residents of Holma in Maiha and Song local governments of Adamawa state were rescued.
The Adamawa’s state Commissioner of Police, SK Akande, while commending the DPO, Sorou, his men and members of the Hunters for the crackdown on the criminal network and gallantry displayed, directed other DPOs to do the same, as a strategy for checkmating crimes and criminals in their areas of responsibility.
Akande called on the populace to always inform the police of the whereabouts of criminals and their hideouts, especially those on the run with bullet wounds.
He further assured the government and good people of Adamawa state of the command’s sustained effort to dislodge all criminal hideouts and black spots in the state.