Youth in Diboni Village of Gada Local Government  Area of Sokoto State  on Monday intercepted and lynched a Niger Republic national suspected to be an arms supplier to armed gang’s terrorising communities in the Northwest on his way to Zamfara State.

The suspect was killed and thrown  into a river after he sought the assistance of locals to cross over with his motorcycle and cargo, the police confirmed in a statement on Friday.

It was in the attempt for him to cross over that it was found that he was carrying 3,144 live ammunition of 7.62x39mm calibre for AK47 assault rifle and an unregistered Kasea motorcycle, the police added.

In the statement, ASP Muhammad Abubakar Sadiq, the Police Public Relations Officer in Sokoto State, explained that upon reciept of the information, the police traced the body and commenced investigation.

“Information was received at Gada Divisional Headquarters that an unknown person from Niger Republic who was suspected to be supplying arms and ammunition to bandits, was intercepted at Diboni village of Gada Local Government Area on his way to Zamfara State, where his passage was obstructed by flood due to a downpour,.

“The suspect sought community members to assist him bypass the flooded area in course of which a sack conveyed on his motorcycle was suspected by the villagers.

“The sack was forcibly opened against resistance by the suspect and a large quantity of ammunition was discovered to be concealed in the sack, which led to the subsequent lawless lynching and disposing of the remains of the suspect into a river by the Villagers,” the police spokesman said

He added that the “Commissioner of Police Sokoto State Command, CP Ibrahim S. Kaoje psc,has directed the State Criminal Investigation Department to commence a full scale investigation into the incident and ensure recovery of the remains for possible identification and autopsy.

“The CP, while cautioning members of the public to desist from self help syndrome leading to taking laws into their hands as the law will take its course regardless, equally enjoins the public to embrace timely rendition of useful information to the Police.”

Numerous reports on the security situation in the Northwest region of Nigeria have linked Nigeriens with the conflict, with locals saying that most of the atrocities are committed by them or gangs which operate from their part of the border between Nigeria and Niger Republic.

Most of the ungoverned areas of Nigeria’s Northwest, such as Ruggu Forest, are shared by both countries and because the populations in both countries share common ancestry and culture, it is difficult to determine their country of origin.

Credit: HumAngle