The Niger State Police Command has arrested 10 suspected robbers and thugs during a series of operations targeting criminal activities in parts of Minna, recovering dangerous weapons and suspected cannabis from the suspects.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, the arrests were made through intelligence-driven patrols and coordinated raids carried out by police operatives in collaboration with local vigilante groups.
Three suspects — Sadiq Ibrahim (25), Abdulazeez Ahmed (25), and Ibrahim Abdullahi (26), all residents of the Kwari-Begger/Maitumbi area — were apprehended on June 4 while allegedly planning to rob passengers travelling in a tricycle. Officers attached to the Tactical Support Team reportedly intercepted the suspects during a routine patrol and recovered two cutlasses and a jackknife from them.
Police said the suspects admitted during questioning that they intended to steal phones and other valuables from commuters.
In a separate operation on June 2, officers from the Central Police Station, working alongside vigilante members, raided suspected criminal hideouts in the PZ area, Sabon-Gari, Abdulsalam Quarters, Tayi Village and Seyeno. Seven more suspects were arrested, while two sharp curved weapons and quantities of suspected cannabis were recovered.
All 10 suspects remain in police custody as investigations continue.
The command also confirmed the arrest of Abubakar Alfa, who was allegedly found with a locally fabricated pistol and a cutlass at a public event in Katcha. He was arrested on June 1 after failing to provide a convincing explanation for possessing the weapons and has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Minna for further investigation.
Meanwhile, police recovered an abandoned Volkswagen vehicle bearing registration number KUJ 113 SB along the Suleja-Minna Road. The vehicle had reportedly been left near Farin-Doki for about three days before officers from the Paiko Division, with support from local residents, secured and moved it to the station for further investigation.
The police said efforts are ongoing to track down other members of the robbery gang and determine the circumstances surrounding the abandoned vehicle.