The Niger State Police Command has arrested a 16-year-old boy and three other suspects in connection with alleged drug trafficking, kidnapping and armed robbery across different parts of the state.
The arrests were confirmed in a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun.
According to Abiodun, the teenage suspect was apprehended in the Kantoma area of Suleja after intelligence reports indicated that suspected hoodlums were operating in the community.
“Information received indicated that some hoodlums were sighted around Kantoma area of Suleja, smoking suspected cannabis,” Abiodun said.
He explained that operatives attached to ‘B’ Division, Suleja, were immediately mobilised to the scene, adding that the suspects attempted to flee on sighting the police.
“On sighting the Police team, the hoodlums took to their heels but one Usman Aliyu, 16 years, was arrested within the area with four cutlasses, one jackknife and six sachets of illicit tablets,” the police spokesperson disclosed.
Abiodun further revealed that the suspect confessed to selling drugs to residents in the area.
“The suspect confessed to having been selling the drugs to different persons in the area,” he said, noting that the teenager has since been arraigned in court following the completion of investigations.
In a related development, the command also announced the arrest of three other suspects over alleged kidnapping and armed robbery activities.
“Based on a tip-off, Police operatives of the FID STS arrested three suspects; Mamman Bello, 18 years; Ibrahim Adamu, 20 years; and Umar Abubakar, 25 years,” Abiodun stated.
He said Bello and Adamu were arrested in Ilorin, Kwara State, after intelligence revealed that suspected kidnappers had relocated from Niger State to a forest in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara.
“During interrogation, it was revealed that Ibrahim joined the group from Beji while Bello also joined from Ogbomosho, and both confessed to different kidnapping activities within the State,” the statement added.
The police disclosed that the suspects were allegedly planning to abduct another victim before their arrest and are currently undergoing further investigation.
On Umar Abubakar, Abiodun said the suspect was arrested in Garatu for his involvement in an armed robbery incident in Beji.
“He confessed to the crime and mentioned others as Wode, Black, Moh’d and one other,” he said.
The command further revealed that the gang sold a stolen motorcycle for ₦600,000 at Tunga-Mallam and shared the proceeds among themselves, adding that efforts are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate.
