At least 500 suspected thugs popularly known as Sara-Suka have renounced criminality as a result of the coordinated Puff Adder Operations of the Police Command in Bauchi.
The thugs, who were arrested between May- July in connection with kidnapping and other violent crimes in the state, were granted pardon after signing an undertaking to repent and be of good citizens.
Large number of arms and ammunition and other dangerous weapons were recovered from them within the period.
The Nation gathered among the repented youths, 31 students, 294 are skilled in various hand jobs while 170 are unskilled.
Counselling the notorious gang group at the police command headquarters in Yandoka Bauchi during the surrendering of arms, Commissioner of Police , CP, Habu A. Sani said: “The command through coordinated Puff Adder Operations which involves all its Tactical and Operational Units successfully cracked down the notorious Sara-Suka gangs and arrested most of their members including those supplying them with dangerous drugs.”
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He said due to the intense pressure and the command awareness campaign and jingle on the ills/ negative consequences of drugs abuse and other crimes, the Sara – Suka thugs surrendered and denounced the act of criminality in the state.
The CP said he was keeping to his word of promising to eradicate crimes in the state.
“It is important to know that since the implementation, the strategy has been effective as a lot of criminal activities in the state were checkmated and over 500 suspected criminals in connection with Sara-Suka thuggery, armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes were arrested, a large number of arms and ammunition and other dangerous weapons were equally recovered between the months of May and July 2019.”
Explaining the reason for the pardon, Sani said: ” It is worthy of note that most of the youths engaged in Sara-Suka thuggery are creative and have lot of potentials in life if their situation is well managed, the Command is mindful of such potentials as such granted them the olive leaf and towed the carrot approach but with strict conditions and undertaking to repent and be good citizens.”
The Police boss said the Command’s door is open to others who are yet to repent as he vows that the police will not rest in is oars in the sustained fight against crime and criminality in the state.
The State Government has promised to rehabilitate the repentant Sara-Suka thugs.
Governor Bala Mohammed, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr. Abubakar Kari, said the government will use the information provided by the police in integrating them to the society.
Mohammed said the state will come up with empowerment programmes aimed at assisting them in capacity building to better their lives.
