A 28-year-old man identified as Jibrin Ali from Zandar, Niger Republic, has been arrested in the Yankari Game Reserve, in Alkeleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State for impersonating military personnel.
The spokesperson for Bauchi Police Command, Ahmed Wakil, in a statement on Friday said Ali was arrested during a routine patrol by detectives from the Alkeleri Divisional Police Headquarters, in collaboration with local security forces.
Jibrin was found impersonating as military personnel and displaying suspicious behaviour in an area known for bandit activity, and his arrest was met with resistance.
Upon interrogation, he failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for his presence in the forest,” Wakili said while noting that it was suspected that the impersonator has ties to criminal groups operating in the area.
He added that Bauchi Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has ordered a full investigation of the suspect by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).
Wakil also revealed that in another incident on the same day, police intercepted a trailer loaded with over one thousand bags of 25 kilogrammes each of diverted iodized salt, valued at more than ten million naira.
The Police spokesperson added that the trailer load of salt was intercepted based on credible intelligence, which led to the arrest of two young men, Sadik Jidda and Ibrahim Ahmad.
The truck’s driver evaded arrest and remains at large.
Wakil said the police commissioner has praised the efforts of his officers and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating criminal activity in the state.
