69 Kano thugs surrender arms, play football with police

The Kano State Police Command has disclosed that 69 repentant thugs have submitted themselves and surrendered their arms to the command…

The Kano State Police Command has disclosed that 69 repentant thugs have submitted themselves and surrendered their arms to the command over a window it opened for those that are willing to stop the criminal activities in the state.

The Commissioner of Police (CP), Muhammed Usaini Gumel, disclosed this during a football match between the police and the repentant thugs at the Sani Abacha Indoor Stadium, Kano.

The CP said, “We invited 30 of them, but to our utmost surprise, 69 of them turned up and accepted to shun bad deeds and also submitted their weapons.’’

After the match, which ended 1-1, the CP noted that three notorious criminals who were also invited to embrace peace chose not to surrender themselves.

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He said, “Three notorious thugs, Bura Kita, Hantar Daba and Sule Maidoki, have proven stubborn and refused to submit their weapons to the police and repent.

“This football match was organised by the police and the Youth Society for the Prevention of Infectious Diseases and Social Vices (YOSPIS), an NGO. It is for the purpose of promoting peace and welcoming back youths who had gone astray.

“We have made efforts to make Kano State free of crime using dialogue and peaceful approaches to encourage youths to shun drug abuse, phone snatching, thuggery and other crimes.’’

He assured of a N300,000 reward for any community that produced any of the criminals still on the wanted list of the police.

In his remarks, AVM Ibrahim Umar (Rtd), who represented Gov Abba Kabir Yusuf, expressed appreciation to the police in their effort to rid the state of vices.

Speaking on behalf of the repentant thugs, Buhari Sunusi Usaini Yandoya, said the approach used by the CP motivated them to repent, adding that they had been looking for an opportunity that would give them a chance to renounce criminal activities.