by Chibuike Nkwede
The Niger State Police Command has intensified its crackdown on criminal activities across the state, leading to the arrest of 24 suspects, including a mechanic accused of stealing a customer’s vehicle.
The arrests, carried out in a series of coordinated operations, involved suspects linked to alleged vehicle theft, motorcycle snatching, vandalism, thuggery, and the unlawful receipt of stolen property.
According to the Command’s spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, one of the key arrests involved a 32-year-old mechanic, Suleiman Anaba, from Sahonrami in Mashegu Local Government Area.
Anaba was accused of allegedly stealing a Toyota Corolla entrusted to him by a customer for repairs.
Police said the suspect allegedly disappeared with the vehicle, bearing registration number AG 281 BNK, for more than a week before operatives attached to the Mashegu Division tracked him down following a formal complaint.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed to the crime and led officers to Kontagora, where the vehicle was successfully recovered.
He has since been charged in court for prosecution.
In a separate operation conducted on March 26, 2026, police operatives in Mokwa arrested a 25-year-old suspect, Buhari Usman, along Raba Road over the alleged theft of a motorcycle.
The suspect reportedly confessed to stealing the motorcycle in Moyo and disclosed plans to dispose of it through an accomplice identified as Abdullahi Suleiman.
Further investigation led to the arrest of Suleiman and another suspected gang member, Aliyu Ibrahim, 26.
Police recovered two Bajaj motorcycles from the suspects, including one reportedly stolen from Sunti Sugar Company.
The suspects have been charged in court, while efforts continue to identify the rightful owners of the recovered motorcycles.
In another breakthrough, operatives attached to the Maje Division arrested four suspects in connection with receiving a stolen vehicle.
The Toyota Carina-E, bearing registration number CQ 302 GGE, was reportedly stolen on March 27 in the Durumi area of Garki, Abuja.
The vehicle was later traced to Kaduna Road, where it had allegedly been parked and offered for sale.
The suspects — Gambo Ibrahim, 23; Sani Kabir, 25; Shuaibu Danjuma, 29; and Abdulrahman Abubakar, 21 — told investigators they purchased the vehicle for ₦850,000 from an unidentified individual who promised to provide the original documents.
The matter remains under active investigation.
The Command also recorded progress in its efforts to combat vandalism across the state.
On March 31, suspected vandals reportedly fled after sighting a combined team of police and vigilante operatives on patrol in Kabo community.
Items abandoned at the scene included a Honda vehicle with registration number KEF 403 SA, vandalised electric cables, mobile phones, and identification cards.
In a separate incident on April 3, police arrested a 20-year-old vigilante member, Abubakar Abdullahi, from Tungan-Maje, Minna, for allegedly vandalising electric cables from CNG buses parked at the Trade Fair Complex in Shango.
The suspect was apprehended with a knife, scissors, a torchlight, and the allegedly stolen cables.
He remains in police custody as investigations continue.
Further reinforcing the Command’s ongoing operations, police on April 2 arrested a suspected motorcycle snatcher, Babangida Ali, 31, of Kagarko, following a distress call from the Bakin-Iku area along Kaduna Road.
The suspect allegedly dispossessed a motorcyclist of his Bajaj motorcycle and attempted to flee before he was swiftly apprehended by patrol officers.
Police said he has since provided useful information regarding other members of his syndicate who are currently on the run.
In a related operation, officers from the Central Division in Minna arrested 16 suspected miscreants during a house-to-house raid carried out between March 31 and April 2 in Angwan-Sarki and Ogbomosho areas.
Recovered items include cutlasses, a sickle, a saw, and sticks.
The suspects are currently under investigation and are expected to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further action and prosecution.
The Niger State Police Command reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining the crackdown on criminal activities and ensuring the safety of residents across the state.