By Kazeem Waris
A Bauchi State court has sentenced eight persons to eight years’ imprisonment each for thuggery and disturbance of public peace in Unguwar Dim, Bauchi metropolis.
The convicts were also given the option of paying a fine of ₦370,000 each, according to the Bauchi State Police Command.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, saying the arrests followed a complaint by the Unguwar Dim Peace and Security Committee on October 14 over renewed thuggery in the area.
Habib said a joint team of police operatives and community security personnel raided the suspects’ hideout in the early hours of October 15, arresting nine persons.
Dangerous weapons, including machetes, cutlasses, knives and sticks, as well as illicit substances, were recovered during the operation, he added.
According to the police spokesman, eight suspects were charged to court after investigations and convicted after pleading guilty to the charges.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, welcomed the judgment and urged residents to provide credible information to help the police tackle criminal activities.
Aliyu reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating thuggery and other crimes, assuring residents that sustained operations would continue to safeguard lives and property across the state.