Police arrest 4 over sale of petrol to bandits

Four suspected suppliers of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) to bandits and kidnappers have been arrested by the police in Katsina. They are Zaharadeen Masa’udu, Ibrahim Khalid, Najib Dayyabu and Halliru Yarima. Parading the suspects, the police spokesman, SP Gambo Isah, said the arrest was in line with an existing ban on sale of petrol in […]

Four suspected suppliers of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) to bandits and kidnappers have been arrested by the police in Katsina.

They are Zaharadeen Masa’udu, Ibrahim Khalid, Najib Dayyabu and Halliru Yarima.

Parading the suspects, the police spokesman, SP Gambo Isah, said the arrest was in line with an existing ban on sale of petrol in jerry cans in the nine frontline local government areas by the state government.

According to him, intelligence-led raids at Batsari and Dutsin-Ma LGAs led to the arrests, noting that “these suspects specialise in sales, distribution and supply of petroleum products to bandits in these areas.”

He said, 33 jerry cans filled with petrol and 24 empty ones were recovered from the suspects.

However, all the suspects, who are managers of their respective filling stations, have denied any wrongdoing.

Zaharadeen said “I was arrested over a jerrycan” while Ibrahim said “We are selling to farmers who use it for irrigation on farms.”