Two individuals have been apprehended by the Niger State Police Command for engaging in false impersonation, theft, illegal possession of firearms, and arms dealing, leading to the recovery of arms within the state.
The suspects, identified as Sabiu Hassan, aged 26 from El-waziri area of Bosso, and Ibrahim Ahore from Beji, Bosso LG, were taken into custody.
Addressing the media in Minna, the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Waisiu Abiodun, emphasized that the arrests mark the continued efforts of the Command in combating crime and criminal activities in Niger State.
Detailing the incident, Abiodun stated, “On March 28, 2024, at approximately 1600hrs, a direct complaint was lodged at Bosso Div from a victim in Hayin-Gwari area regarding two individuals dressed in police and vigilante attire who had intercepted him while he was riding a Bajaj motorcycle with Reg. No. MNA 121 CV valued at about N70,000 on March 25, 2024, at around 1930hrs, without any valid reason.”
“The victim was instructed by the suspects to provide the motorcycle’s documentation, but upon returning with the paperwork, he found that the two men had vanished with his motorcycle to an undisclosed location,” he added.
Subsequent investigations led to the discovery of the motorcycle at Sabiu Hassan’s residence, where a locally-made pistol was also found during a search.
Upon interrogation, Sabiu confessed to stealing the motorcycle and intentionally avoiding reporting it to the police, indicating his accomplice as Kabiru, a fellow vigilante member from Bosso who is currently evading arrest.
“Sabiu then directed the authorities to a local fabricator named Ibrahim Ahore in Beji, who admitted to manufacturing locally made guns and disclosed that his son, Abdullahi Ibrahim, had sold the pistol to Sabiu,” Abiodun revealed.
Recovered items included two locally-made double-barrel guns, one double-barrel dane gun, six single-barrel dane guns, and two iron rods used in gun manufacturing.
Efforts are underway to apprehend Kabiru and Abdullahi, while Sabiu and Ahore have been transferred to SCID Minna and are facing court charges.
