*Warn Nigerians of adult Almajiri schools
Audu Adamu Madaki, the Commissioner of Police in Adamawa State has revealed how herdsmen use their cattle to conceal and smuggle dangerous firearms into Nigeria.
At a briefing on the security situation and the wave of kidnappings in the state on Wednesday in Yola, Madaki said three "repentant" kidnappers who turned in two AK47 rifles, informed him on how they used their cattle to carry arms from Cameroon into Nigeria.
He said, "Yesterday, we harvested three repentant kidnappers who voluntarily walked into my office, confessed to have been kidnappers; but have now repented and surrendered two AK-47s to the command.
"The herdsmen explained to me that they normally concealed the firearms in sacks of personal effects and strap them on the back of a cow and then immigrate to a chosen destination."
On how and where they obtained the firearms, the police chief said, "They told me that they purchased them from the Republic of Cameroon and moved them into Nigeria through the bush path to beat immigration and other security agents along the border."
He added that the "repentant kidnappers" were led into his office by an official of the Miyetti Allah, an umbrella body for Fulani herdsmen.
Also at the briefing, Madaki raised security concerns about the springing up of adult Almajiri Qur'anic schools across seven local government areas of the state.
According to him, the police spotted suspicious Almajiri schools in Jada, Song, Gombi, Mubi North, Yola North and Fufore local government areas.
"It was curious to see full-grown adults attending Almajiri school because I attended Almajiri school myself back then when I was about seven years. So I don't understand how an adult as old as I'm would claim to be an Almajiri.
"Under the pretext of an Almajiri, these criminal elements move from house to house with a bowl, supposedly begging for food, but in real sense prying on unsuspected kidnap victims.
"Having said that, it will interest you to know that, we have one of those adults, a supposed Almajiri right here in our custody as a kidnap suspect," he said.
The police commissioner also paraded 86 suspects, linked to either kidnapping or armed robbery, including 'Shilla boys', a criminal gang, notorious for gang-rape and phone snatching within Yola metropolis.