The Niger State Police Command has arrested two suspects over alleged involvement in car theft and receiving stolen vehicles, recovering two vehicles in separate operations across Minna and Bida.
The command also announced the arrest of three other suspects linked to criminal conspiracy, vandalism, and theft of electricity infrastructure, as well as another three persons arrested with vandalised armoured cables suspected to belong to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, who confirmed that the operations were carried out following credible intelligence and coordinated surveillance by police operatives.
According to the statement, the first operation led to the arrest of two suspects identified as 49-year-old Abdulfatai Abdulganiyu of Hotoro, Kano State, and 28-year-old Nura Umar of Low-Cost area, Bida.
The statement explained that Abdulfatai was intercepted at a hotel along Mandela Road, Minna, where he was found in possession of a Honda CR-V with registration number ABJ 529 DE, reportedly stolen from Kano.
“The intelligence received indicated that Abdulfatai is a suspected member of a car theft syndicate and he was discovered to have come to Minna from Kano with a stolen vehicle. The suspect was later trailed to a hotel along Mandela Road, Minna where he was arrested with a Honda CRV vehicle bearing Reg. No. ABJ 529 DE,” the statement read.
During interrogation, the suspect allegedly confessed that the vehicle was stolen in Kano and handed over to him by one Musa Abdulrazak. He further stated that he drove the vehicle to Minna to find a potential buyer.
A follow-up investigation led to the arrest of Nura Umar, who was identified as a suspected buyer. He was found with a Toyota Corolla with registration number KADUNA MKA 461 MZ, which he allegedly purchased for ₦1.1 million, paying ₦700,000 upfront.
“A preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect had contacted Nura Umar in Bida to purchase the said vehicle. Nura was immediately arrested by the Police in Bida, and he was also found with a Toyota Corolla vehicle… Nura stated that Abdulfatai brought the Corolla vehicle to him… at the rate of one million, one hundred thousand naira only,” Abiodun added.
In a separate operation, police operatives in Kotangora arrested Yazidu Dalhatu, for alleged vandalism and theft of transformer oil at Tudun-Wada area, while two other suspects remain at large.
The statement further revealed that two alleged receivers, 40-year-old Mohammed Lawal and 25-year-old Umar Liman, have been linked to the stolen transformer components and are under investigation.
“During investigation, the suspect confessed to the crime and stated that two other transformers were also vandalised in Yangalo village… He mentioned Mohammed Lawal and Umar Liman as receivers,” the statement noted.
In another case, police intercepted a vehicle along the Kaduna–Abuja expressway conveying vandalised armoured cables suspected to belong to AEDC. Three suspects were identified as, 23-year-old Ibrahim Aminu, 26-year-old Isah Jafar and 19-year-old Yusuf Aminu, were arrested.
Recovered exhibits include hand saws, a hammer, a chisel, and burnt armoured cables.
“Acting on credible information, Police patrol team intercepted an Ash Volkswagen vehicle… conveying some quantity of vandalised burnt cut-to-size armoured cables reasonably suspected to be AEDC property,” the statement said.
The command confirmed that all suspects are currently in custody and would be charged in court upon conclusion of investigations.
The state Commissioner of Police, Adamu Elleman, commended the operatives for their swift response and reiterated the Command’s commitment to tackling crime across the state
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