Former Sulu mayor's alleged gunman nabbed

MANILA, Philippines - Operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) have arrested one of the suspects in last year’s murder of former Maimbung, Sulu mayor Najib Maldisa last week.

 Wally Alama, 42, with aliases Waliul and Wali Uz, was arrested when he, along with four men – Mahamud Mahadali, 32; Salam Usni, 34; Alan Sanong, 44, alias Sanong; and Abrahan Mohamad, 35, alias Cheng; – tried to rescue Nadzul Alih, the alleged leader of the Alih drug syndicate, who was arrested in Zamboanga City. 

PDEA director general Jose Gutierrez said PDEA agents disarmed Alama and his companions at the parking lot of the Zamboanga City Hall after agents noticed them following the vehicle transporting Alih.

“We have reasons to believe that these men are guns-for-hire, apparently contracted to aid and facilitate the escape of Nadzul Alih,” Gutierrez said yesterday. 

PDEA agents confiscated assorted firearms with live ammunitions and a hand grenade from the suspects. CAFGU identification cards were also recovered from Usni, Sanong and Mohammad, who were wearing CAFGU uniforms. 

Mahadali yielded a card identifying him as an agent of Task Force Zamboanga and the Office of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) while authorities seized a sachet of shabu from Alama. 

Maldisa was killed in an ambush on June 27, 2011 at the San Roque Cemetery in Maimbung, Sulu by four gunmen. 

PDEA Director General Jose Gutierrez Jr. said Maldisa’s wife has positively identified Alama as one of the gunmen.