Bandit detained in Sokoto not Islamic cleric – Police
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The Sokoto State Police Command has dismissed social media claims that a suspect in custody, Sirajo Dan Liman, is an Islamic cleric or the Deputy Chief Imam of the Kangiye community.
The command’s spokesperson, Ahmad Rufa’i, clarified the matter in a WhatsApp message to The PUNCH on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the website of security analyst Zagazola Makama had reported that police arrested the Deputy Chief Imam of the Central Jumu’ah Mosque in Kangiye, Sokoto State, over alleged collaboration with bandits.
The report further claimed the suspect supplied motorcycles and other essentials to criminals operating along the Tangaza–Niger Republic border, with N47m reportedly found in his bank account.
Rufa’i, while confirming the arrest, described the allegations as false.
“An arrest was made of the suspect currently undergoing investigation,” he stated.
But note he is not a clergyman; no such amount was allegedly found in his account,” he added.
He stressed that, while investigations are ongoing, neither the purported religious title nor the alleged N47m can be linked to the suspect.
The PUNCH recalls that a similar police operation recently led to the arrest of a notorious bandit.
On Saturday, July 13, 2025, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, acting on credible intelligence, apprehended Buba Magaji, a resident of Julirkol village in Silami Local Government Area.
Police recovered an AK-49 rifle and live ammunition from him. Magaji is alleged to be a member of the dreaded Lakurawa bandit syndicate.
