In a renewed crackdown on criminal elements across Niger State, the State Police Command has made significant strides in crime fighting, resulting in the arrest of suspected motorcycle thieves, recovery of a stolen vehicle, apprehension of a suspected military offender, and the arrest of miscreants involved in thuggery.
These developments were contained in a crime bulletin released on Monday, April 7, 2025, by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun.
On April 3, 2025, at about 2:30pm, following a complaint, operatives of the Command’s Crack Squad arrested two suspects Mohammed Usman a.k.a. Small, 18, of Tunga, Minna, and Mohammed Abdullahi a.k.a. Kola, 22, of Paiko area for conspiracy, theft of motorcycles, and receiving stolen property. Usman had, on March 28, allegedly lured a commercial motorcyclist to a hotel around the Old City Gate in Tunga, tricked him into his hotel room, took the motorcycle key, locked the victim in the room, and fled with the motorcycle. He then delivered the stolen bike to Abdullahi in Paiko for sale.
Following investigations, Abdullahi who has a pending case of criminal force and assault linked to a gang fight at a mining site was arrested. He led police operatives to a mining site in Paiko where Usman was waiting to collect the proceeds of the crime. Two motorcycles were recovered, and both suspects confessed to the crime. Usman also admitted to stealing one of the motorcycles from a mining site in Obajana, Kogi State.
In a separate case, on March 23, 2025, at about 3pm, police received information about a Toyota Corolla with registration number EPE 94 FT that was stolen in Kubwa, Abuja on March 21. The vehicle, which had been parked within the area before it was taken, was tracked and eventually recovered abandoned along the Dikko-Maje road by operatives from Maje Division.
Also, on March 30, 2025, at about 3pm, one Abdulrahman Salisu, 26, of Abdulsalam Quarters, was brought to Central Police Station, Minna with three of his fingers severed. A preliminary investigation revealed that Salisu, a shoe vendor at Makera area in Minna, had a disagreement with a suspected soldier, Private Sadiq Sani of 2 Division Garrison, over payment for a pair of shoes. During the altercation, the soldier allegedly drew a cutlass hidden in his trousers and attempted to strike Salisu on the head. The victim raised his hand to protect himself, resulting in the loss of three fingers. The suspect fled the scene but was later arrested at his residence and handed over to Military Police for further action after preliminary investigation at SCID Minna.
In a related development, police operatives from ‘A’ Division Minna conducted a sting operation at about 2am on April 6, targeting criminal hideouts around Kwangila and Keteren-Gwari areas of Minna. Six suspects were arrested during the operation: Mohammad Yusuf, Mohammad Aliyu, Isah Abdullahi, Usman Mohammed, Jibrin Suleiman, and Ibrahim Mohammad. One of the suspects was found in possession of a cable used to assault unsuspecting residents.
All suspects are currently under investigation as the Command intensified efforts to rid the state of crime and ensure public safety.
