Police: How suspected vandals tried to bribe DPO with N500k in Niger

The Niger state police command says it has arrested nine suspects who are members of a syndicate that engages in attacking and looting trucks and containers that break down on the highways.

In a statement on Tuesday, W.A Abiodun, the command spokesperson, said the suspects were arrested in a vehicle riddled with bullets on the Kaduna-Abuja highway.

“On 20/07/2023 at about 03:30hrs, based on intelligence received, police operatives attached to Tafa division intercepted a Volkswagen Sharon vehicle with Reg. No. LKJ 739 BJ along Kaduna-Abuja highway at Sabon-Wuse Tafa LGA,” the statement reads.

“The vehicle’s body was found to have been riddled with some bullet impacts and occupied by nine men suspected to be criminal-minded persons.

“The occupants were immediately arrested and they are; Mohammed Sani, Hakimi Abdullahi, Aminu Bello, Buhari Abdullahi, Tasiu Abdullahi, Bello Auwal, Kabiru Abubakar, Abdullahi Dabo and Babangida Ibrahim

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the nine men specialized in targeting and monitoring faulty loaded trucks along Abuja/Kaduna road, Keffi/Jos road, Nasarawa/Akwanga road, and Minna/Suleja road.

“The syndicate was discovered to have been engaging in attacking and breaking trucks/containers and looting items/property contained therein.

“During interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime and claimed that they have a warehouse at Akwanga where they keep the loot, while they sell the items in Kano state. They later attempted to bribe the DPO to terminate the case with an offer of N500,000.

“All suspects were arrested and transferred to SCID Minna for further investigation.”

Meanwhile, the police command said it has arrested five persons suspected to be recipients of stolen items.

The police said the suspects were found to be assisting armed robbers in selling such items.

Nine laptop computers, 16 phones, seven wristwatches, and other items were recovered from the suspects.

“It would be recalled that as a result of the recent robberies in Minna, in which five suspects were arrested on 09/07/2023 in connection with the robberies at Morris, Brighter, Mandela, Tunga, Farm Center, David Mark road and Mobile quarters area of Minna.

“It is important to state that in the course of the investigation of these robberies, police operatives attached to SCID Minna arrested one tricycle rider and five notorious receivers of items robbed from various residences of the victims, based on the confessions of the suspected armed robbers earlier arrested.

“The five receivers are; Ahmed Sani a.k.a Balarabe 23yrs, phone repairer at Obasanjo complex; Abdullahi Abubakar a.k.a Mourinho 37yrs, phone accessories seller at Complex; Auwal Saidu 25yrs — phone repairer; Abdulkareem Musa 30yrs — phone repairer; Safianu Ibrahim 21yrs, phone repairer at Chanchaga.

“One Murtala Junaidu 21yrs of Katsina state residing at Makera Minna was also arrested with a tricycle with Reg. No. BDA 806 WL. Murtala is a tricycle rider who had been conveying the robbers during their nefarious activities mostly between the period of 2200hrs to 0500hrs.

“During interrogation, Abdullahi Abubakar confessed that he had been aiding the robbery gang to sell such items as he recently collected seven phones and three laptops from one of the robbers Mikhail, while he contacted Balarabe to buy some of the items.

“Balarabe confirmed that he bought three iPhones at the rate of N20,000 each, and two laptops at N25,000 each.

“Items recovered from the suspects are; nine laptop computers, 16 phones, seven wristwatches, earphones, power banks, and phone chargers.

“However, the investigation is ongoing at SCID Minna, as one suspect identified as Abdullahi Musa is presently at large with some other items. An effort is ongoing to apprehend the said suspect and recover other stolen items.”

The statement added that Ogundele Ayodeji, the police commissioner in the state, said with the cooperation of Niger residents, security agents will continue to protect lives and property.