No hiding place for you, Bala tells bandits, kidnappers

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state has said that there is no hiding place for criminals in the state as his administration will ensure synergy between the security agencies and the state government to make the state safe and secure.

Gov. Bala stated this on Wednesday at a taking and handing over ceremony of arms and ammunition recovered from criminals by a renowned hunter and fighter of armed robbers and kidnappers, Alhaji Ali Kwara at the Government House in Bauchi.

The governor said that the arms were recovered in Burra Forest arising from the activities of Alhaji Ali Kwara in collaboration with the police who confiscated them from bandits who are now at large.

“There are some informants within and outside the towns of Bauchi and environs that are helping us to do this and this is also in collaboration between Bauchi state government, Ali Kawra, the police and other security agencies so that we will be able to have some concrete engagement with a view to identifying all these bandits and armed robbers that have migrated from Zamfara and other places looking for abode in our forests.

“We know there are some in Yankari Forest, we know there are some in Lame/Burra and we know there are some even along Dass Road. Because of intelligence we are getting from DSS and other security agencies, they should know that they have no place to stay in Bauchi state,” he declared.

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The governor while thanking the inspector general of police for his efforts toward deepening community engagement handed over the recovered arms and ammunitions to the Commissioner of Police in the state, Philip Maku.

“We will now surrender these arms and ammunitions received from Ali Kwara to the police for custody and also ask the Nigerian military to put their members in Ali Kwara’s team. We are ready to support them with wherever token of support in terms of mobility and logistics to be able to keep Bauchi state safe and secure,” the governor added.

Earlier, the renowned hunter, Alhaji Ali Kwara told the governor that the guns were recovered from bandits hiding underground in Burra Forest after a tip-off.

“The guns that you are seeing today, there is an armed robber we’ve been trailing for long, he is involved in kidnapping in this area and he also operates around Taraba, Benue and Plateau states. He used to come from Zamfara state.

“He was brought to me voluntarily by his father having noticed that I have swung into action that has affected some of his colleagues. When he came, he informed me that there are strangers who have smuggled arms into Bauchi and that he took part in hiding the guns underground.

“He took us to Lame/Burra Forest where we recovered these guns. The boy is in my custody. I didn’t allow him to go out because people know him and they may lynch him,” the hunter stated.

Alhaji Kwara, who said 43 guns, 1,117 ammunition and 30 cartridges were recovered, informed the governor that he is working in collaboration with about 50 police officers in the fight against armed robbery, banditry and other violent crimes, which he has been doing voluntarily for the past 21 years.

Commissioner of Police, Philip Maku said the police will take- over the arms and ammunition for further investigation that can lead to the arrest of the culprits.

He appealed to members of the public in the state to cooperate with the police by not hiding people with questionable characters in their midst, adding that community engagement in security is very important.