Niger State Police have arrested nine suspects accused of armed robbery, murder, and selling stolen motorcycles in Suleja and parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The arrests started with a distress call at 3:40 a.m. on 10 June from the Rafin-Chinaka area of Maje in Suleja Local Government Area. A victim had just been robbed of a Jincheng motorcycle. Police officers from Maje Division responded and spotted the suspects trying to escape through the Zuba axis. They chased and arrested one suspect, Bitrus James.
Investigations led to eight more arrests: Aminu Ibrahim, 25, of Jabi, Abuja; Gali Abubakar; Ibrahim Idris, also known as “Nepa”; Samaila Nasiru, 20, of Jabi, Abuja; Mohammed Sani, 41; Dorcas Thomas, 32, of Durumi; Rejoice Samaila, 28, of Durumi; and Musa Lawal, 30, of Sabon-Wuse.
Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said preliminary investigations showed some suspects belonged to an armed robbery network operating in Suleja and neighbouring communities.
Two suspects — Bitrus James and Aminu Ibrahim — allegedly confessed to killing a motorcyclist, Alhaji Monsa, on 31 May. They said they attacked him behind the Niger Motel in Suleja, stabbed him to death, and took his motorcycle and a bag containing personal belongings.
Police allege Musa Lawal acted as a receiver of stolen motorcycles and arranged their transport to buyers in Katsina, Kaduna, and other locations through another suspect, Mohammed Sani. Abiodun also claimed Lawal tried to bribe a Divisional Police Officer to stop the investigation.
Samaila Nasiru is accused of allowing a boutique in Jabi to be used for storing firearms and dangerous weapons. Rejoice Samaila allegedly sheltered one of the suspects in Durumi. Dorcas Thomas is said to have provided her personal details so a suspect could open a bank account to receive proceeds from crimes.
Exhibits recovered include two locally fabricated revolver guns, an axe, a jackknife, one live cartridge, eight empty cartridges, a laptop, a bag belonging to the deceased victim, motorcycle parts, mobile phones, and ATM cards.
The suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Minna for further investigation and possible prosecution.
In a separate operation, police arrested four suspects for motorcycle theft in Minna. On 11 June, Suleiman Mohammed of Kateren-Gwari and Umar Sabo of Kontagora allegedly tried to steal a motorcycle parked in front of a home in the Tunga area. The owner raised an alarm, and neighbours and local vigilantes helped catch them.
Police also arrested Kasimu Adamu, 28, along General Hospital Road in Minna with a motorcycle suspected stolen a day earlier. That led to the arrest of Mansir Salisu, 30, in Angwan-Biri, Bosso Local Government Area. A search of his home uncovered another Bajaj motorcycle allegedly stolen from a victim.
The command also recovered a Hilux vehicle with registration number YAB 206 EZ. Officers from the GRA Division acted on intelligence that tracked the vehicle to Kure Market Road in Minna. A suspect identified only as Adamu was arrested.
In a minor but odd case, police arrested Aliyu Abubakar in the New Market area of Minna with a sack containing a turkey suspected stolen. He confessed to stealing the bird from the Tunga Prison Quarters and admitted stealing three others from the same area on previous occasions. Police are tracing people who allegedly bought the stolen birds.
Abiodun reaffirmed the command’s commitment to fighting crime across the state.