The Niger State Police Command has recorded major successes in its sustained fight against crime, with the arrest of more than twenty suspects for offences ranging from theft and robbery to thuggery and possession of illicit substances across Minna metropolis.
Confirming the developments, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said the arrests followed credible intelligence, proactive patrols and targeted raids carried out by operatives across various divisions in the state, as part of efforts to rid Minna of criminal elements.
According to the Command, on 5 January 2026, operatives of the Chanchaga Division arrested one Aliyu Mohammed of Chanchaga, who was entrusted with a shop near a mosque but allegedly stole a lister engine, a drum and other items valued at over one million naira. During interrogation, the suspect confessed and revealed that he sold the items to Ibrahim Mua’zu of Sabon-Titi. The lister engine was recovered, while both the suspect and the receiver were charged to court.
In a related incident on 12 January 2026, police arrested Idris Yayaha (36) of Darulsalam area, Bosso, a motorcycle rider who allegedly intimidated a student by claiming to be a soldier and forcefully conveyed him to an isolated area within Bosso Estate, where he robbed the victim of an Infinix phone valued at over ₦170,000. The suspect was apprehended with the assistance of community members and subsequently charged to court.
Similarly, four suspects were arrested in connection with criminal conspiracy, grievous hurt and thuggery following an attack on a vigilante operative in Kpakungu on 24 December 2025. The suspects—Usman Mohammed (20), Shuaibu Shehu (19), Husseini Umar (16), and Abdullahi Mohammed (18)—were arrested after investigations led police to their hideouts. Exhibits recovered include sharp knives, scissors and packs of suspected cannabis, while one suspect remains at large. The case was transferred to the Anti-Thuggery Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Minna, and the suspects were charged to court.
As part of ongoing raids against thuggery and youth restiveness, operatives of the Central Police Division also arrested ten suspects from various black spots in Minna between 23 and 27 December 2025. Those arrested included Abdullahi Sani (a.k.a. Foga), Ahmad Alhassan, Abba Biri, Chakuli, Khalifa, Oko, Ismail Mohammed, Hassan Ibrahim, Enoch Habila, and Mustapha Nasiru, with weapons and suspected cannabis recovered. All were charged to court.
In further operations, police arrested six additional suspects during a sting operation on 17 January 2026 across Kwangila, Kasuwan-Gwari, Abdulsalam quarters and Sabon-Gari. Items recovered include knives, an ice bonker, bottles of soft drinks and quantities of suspected cannabis. Another suspect, Ibrahim Salihu (39) of Sabon-Gari, was arrested on 18 January 2026 at Mobil Roundabout, with 28 wraps of suspected cannabis and a dane gun recovered from his residence.
Other arrests included Mubarak Suleiman (20) of Limawa, previously on the police wanted list for thuggery, as well as Husseini Badamasi (25) and Abdulrahim Nuhu (20), who were found in possession of illicit chemical substances. All suspects have been transferred to SCID Minna for further investigation.
SP Abiodun reiterated the Command’s resolve to sustain aggressive operations against criminal activities and urged residents to continue supporting the police with timely and credible information.
