The Police Command in Kaduna State said on Thursday that its operatives arrested eight persons suspected to be highway robbers on the Kaduna-Abuja expressway.

Its Public Relations Officer, Mr Mansir Hassan, in a statement, said that operatives from Tollgate Divisional Headquarters, while on patrol along Kaduna-Abuja expressway on Jan. 27, arrested seven suspects “while gearing up to operate”.

“The patrol team, at about 1100 hours, sighted and intercepted a suspicious vehicle with seven passengers who were met changing their clothing to seemingly operational ones.

“When accosted, they could not offer a plausible explanation, thus, they were moved to the divisional headquarters.

“In the course of investigation, a locally-fabricated pistol with three live 20 gauge shotgun cartridges were recovered from them.

“The seven suspects included Sheriff Abubakar, Hassan Adam, Nura Mustafa, Abdullahi Mohammed, Umar Mohammed, Umar Mohammed and Isa Usman.

“Another member of the syndicate, Yusuf Danmakurdi, was arrested by the Divisional Police Headquarters in Tafa.

“From our findings, the syndicate often attacks motorists along the Kaduna-Abuja highway. Worst hit are people whose vehicles have broken down.

“They attack mostly articulated vehicles carrying goods such as rice, beans, electronics. They also attack fuel tanks.

“They usually move with an extra vehicle, a van or bus, into which they pack the aforementioned goods.

“In the case of a loaded fuel tank, they will restrain the driver and his partner in the bush, move with the tanker, sell the petroleum product and abandon the vehicle,” he explained.

Hassan said that the suspects would be arraigned when investigation is completed.

The officer quoted the Commissioner of Police, Mr Audu Ali, as commending the operatives for the arrest, while tasking them to rid the state of all criminal elements.