The Niger State Police Command has apprehended three suspects in separate operations for alleged involvement in thuggery, armed robbery, and fraud.
The arrests followed midnight raids on criminal hotspots in Minna and surveillance operations at New Market in Kontagora.
In a statement issued on Monday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, said operatives of the command’s Anti-Thuggery Unit raided criminal hideouts around Sabon-Titi, Tunga, Minna, at about 2am on September 25.
During the operation, two young men — 18-year-old Murtala Abbas and 20-year-old Hassan Ibrahim — were taken into custody.
Abiodun explained that Abbas, a native of Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State residing around Bay Clinic, Tunga, was found with two sharp curved sickles suspected to be weapons for violent attacks.
The second suspect, Hassan Ibrahim, was arrested at his residence in Sabon-Titi. Items recovered from him included two locally fabricated guns, a police T-shirt, two damaged walkie-talkies, and illicit substances.
Abiodun said, *“He claimed that the two damaged walkie-talkies were given to him by a vigilante man in the area, and that one of the guns was also given to him by one Sadiq who is also a vigilante member.
“He further confessed that he stole the police T-shirt from his uncle who is a retired policeman.”*
The police spokesperson added that efforts were underway to trace the vigilante members mentioned.
He said, “Investigation is ongoing to arrest the vigilantes mentioned, and the two suspects will be charged to court immediately after investigation.”
According to Abiodun, the raid was part of the ongoing offensive against criminal gangs in the metropolis.
“These raids will continue. The command will not allow these boys to hide under the cover of the night to terrorise innocent people,” he added.
In a separate development, officers of ‘B’ Division, Kontagora, arrested another suspect, identified as Bashir Abubakar of Kebbi State, for alleged fraud and theft by trick.
The incident occurred at New Market, Kontagora, around 11:30am on September 27, when Abubakar reportedly entered a shop and requested to purchase a handset and accessories valued at over ₦500,000. He allegedly dropped a bag with the shop attendant, claiming he would return to make payment.
When the bag was later checked, it was discovered to be filled with papers cut into the shape of naira notes.
The PPRO said, “In the course of the situation, he was immediately identified as the same person who had carried out a similar fraud in the same market in August, where he collected two phones worth about ₦240,000 and disappeared.”
Abubakar was nearly lynched by an angry mob before police intervened.
Abiodun added, “As a result of this, he was attacked by the mob, but Police operatives quickly moved to the scene, rescued him and took him into custody.”
The suspect is currently in custody, and according to the PPRO, he will be prosecuted as soon as investigations are concluded.
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