The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the arrest of at least five suspected trans-border arms dealers and recovered several weapons.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi in a statement on Friday said the arrests were carried out by the operatives of the FID-IRT on November 18.

He identified the suspects as Adamu Noma, Matthew Audu, Andrew Poyi, Aminu Sani, and Aminu Talha.

According to Adejobi, upon arrest and conducted search, “10 locally fabricated Ak-47 rifles, 5 Israeli Ak-47 rifles, 1 revolver pistol, 1 pump action rifle, 20 rounds of Ak-47 ammunition, and 1 welding machine for fabrication of rifles were recovered from the suspect.

“These feats, and several more recorded by police operatives across the country are indications of the steadfastness and commitment of the current police leadership to decimate and subdue criminal activities and insecurity in general in the country”.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to the 109 foreign nationals arraigned for high-level cybercrimes, hacking, and activities that threaten Nigeria’s national security bail.

The court granted them bail to the tune of N1billion.

This is even as the presiding judge, Justice Ekerete Akpan, also held that the defendants should produce five sureties to tune of N200 million each, in like sum.

According to the presiding judge, each surety is expected to have a landed property in like sum of N200 million and should deposit their recent passport photograph to the court.

The defendants are also expected to deposit their international passports with the Registrar of the Federal High Court in Maitama.

It would be recalled that the 109 defendants had earlier pleaded “not guilty” to the six-count charge levelled against them but Justice Akpan took a short recess to rule on their bail application filed by their counsel, Ogwu Onoja, SAN.

Ibom Focus earlier reported that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja ordered that the 109 foreigners linked to high-level cybercrimes, hacking, and activities threatening national security be remanded in Kuje and Suleja correctional facilities until the next adjourned date (today).

Counsel to some of the defendants, Ogwu Onoja, had told the court that there was need to have interpreters who would be present in court during proceedings for the sake of those who do not understand spoken English.

Counsel to the Brazilian defendants, Eric Oba, also asked the court to separate his clients from other defendants, but the court declined, noting that arraignment had not been done.

After listening to the submission of the lawyers in the suit, the trial judge had adjourned the case to November 29, for arraignment.

The defendants, who were identified as citizens of China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, Brazil, Malaysia and Myanmar, are facing a six-count charge that was entered against them by the Nigeria Police Force.

According to police, the defendants were arrested at a building situated at plot 1906, Cadestral Zone 807, Katampe District of Abuja, where they were said to be engaging in cybercrime.

Aside from cybercrime, the defendants were also charged for money laundering and an allegation that they were residing in Nigeria, illegally.

The operatives of Zamfara State Hisbah Commission have clashed with Police officers in Gusau, for allegedly taking women to hotels.

Addressing newsmen in Gusau, the Executive Chairman of Zamfara State Hisbah Commission, Sheikh Umar Hassan Gusau who spoke through his Director Operations, Lawal Abubakar Maradun said the Police have severrally been advised to desist from such acts but they persist

According to him, the police men always claim that they are security officers that Hisbah operatives have no constitutional right to challenge them.

“Our men on Monday caught some of them and confronted them which resulted in the clash which took us to the State Police headquarters”, he said.

When we arrest police men with a women in hotels, the police men would identify themselves while the women would not be able to identify themselves.

“However, those women would be arrested for alleged prostitution, we would warn them to desist from such illegal acts and if they are arrested again, they would be prosecuted”

“These police officers are supposed to be enforcing the law, but they are law breakers. knowing fully well that Zamfara is a Sharia State”, he lamented.

He said the officers involved are junior security men and that no senior security operative has been arrested before.

“The matter took us to the State Police Command headquarters so the commissioner could have knowledge of what his men are involved in”

“The Police Commissioner, Muhammad Dalija blamed his men for such immoral acts and warned them to desist”

“There is no doubt that the State. Hisbah Commission has ma utual understanding with the senior security officers in the state”

He said that his operatives have recently arrested over 200 youth for drug abuse, pointing out that many of them have been prosecuted, after several warnings.

He noted that the commission has the power to arrest, detain and prosecute offenders of the Sharia laws, stressing that the offenders would be warned, but any offence after the warning, the person must be charged to court.