The police have arrested four suspects in connection with the alleged killing of a 30-year-old man, Sunday Pada, in the Korokpan area of Minna, Niger State.
Pada, a resident of Gogala village in Shiroro Local Government Area, was allegedly attacked and stabbed to death on 10 August, according to the police.
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The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed this in a crime bulletin issued on Tuesday.
Abiodun said the incident occurred at about 6:30 a.m. when some persons in the Korokpan area allegedly attacked the victim.
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“Police operatives attached to Paiko Division moved to the scene, but the suspects had escaped before their arrival,” he said.
The victim was subsequently rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was confirmed dead.
Four suspects arrested
The police said the suspects were later identified after three of them were found in the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) following a sting operation conducted in the area.
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The three suspects were released to the police, while another was arrested.
They were identified as Ibrahim Abubakar, Aliyu Onah, Godwin Musa, and Aminu Bawa, all residents of Korokpan, Minna.
The command said preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased was returning from a friend’s house when an alarm was raised, allegedly accusing him of being a thief.
The suspects reportedly intercepted him, beat him severely and subsequently stabbed him.
The four suspects are currently being investigated at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Minna, for alleged criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide.
The police said the investigation was ongoing.
Mob action raises concern
The incident has again drawn attention to the dangers of mob action and the growing concern over residents taking the law into their own hands following unverified allegations of criminality.
The police urged members of the public to report suspected criminality to law enforcement agencies rather than resorting to violence against alleged offenders.
The command said the suspects would be prosecuted upon completion of the investigation if sufficient evidence was established against them.
The suspects, however, remain presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court.
Other arrests and recoveries
The case was among several incidents highlighted by the police command in its latest crime bulletin.
In a separate operation, the command said its operatives recovered an AK-47 rifle and ammunition along a suspected bandit route near Krusha-Genu village in Rijau Local Government Area.
The recovery was made on August 15 at about 7:30 p.m. following intelligence that firearms and ammunition had been concealed in the bush.
Police tactical operatives led by the divisional police officer in Rijau recovered the rifle, a magazine containing 19 rounds of live ammunition, another empty magazine and 55 rounds of GPMG anti-aircraft ammunition.
The command said the recovered weapons were in police custody and undergoing forensic analysis, while joint clearance operations against banditry had been intensified.
Suspected animal thieves arrested
The police also reported the arrest of three suspects in connection with an alleged criminal conspiracy and the theft of animals in Gidan-Kwano, Minna.
The suspects — Danlami Ali, 45; Sabastine Masangu, 49; and Masaud Abdullahi, 35 — were arrested on 11 August after police operatives and vigilantes intercepted a black, tinted Volkswagen vehicle suspected to have been used by a criminal syndicate.
Animal skins suspected of having been obtained from stolen animals were allegedly recovered from the vehicle.
According to the police, preliminary investigation indicated that the suspects allegedly specialised in stealing goats and other animals within the community.
Four arrested over alleged fake online investment scheme
Four other suspects were arrested in Farm Centre, Minna, over alleged criminal conspiracy, extortion and fraud involving a purported QNET online investment scheme.
The suspects were identified as Ringim Magaji, Umar Laduwa, Bashir Abdullahi, and Ibrahim Bello.
The police said the victim had travelled from Kano to Minna for an alleged job offer.
Upon arrival, the suspects allegedly took him to a house in Farm Centre and demanded ₦200,000 for an online investment.
The victim reportedly insisted that he had travelled to Minna for employment, not for investment.
The police alleged that the suspects intimidated him and compelled him to transfer ₦200,000 to an account belonging to one Aminu Bello.
They allegedly demanded an additional ₦200,000, but the victim refused and was reportedly slapped.
The victim later escaped from the house during prayer time and was intercepted by police operatives, who subsequently took his statement.
The suspects are being investigated at the SCID, Minna.
Suspected highway thieves arrested
The command also reported the arrest of two suspects over alleged theft from articulated vehicles along the Mokwa-Jebba highway.
On 13 August, suspected thieves were reportedly seen transferring cartons of spaghetti from a parked truck into a Sharon vehicle at Kpaki village near Mokwa.
The truck driver, who had stopped to observe morning prayers, allegedly sighted the suspects and alerted a police patrol team.
The suspects reportedly fled when police arrived, leaving Ibrahim Mohammed, a resident of Mararaba, Nyanya, Abuja, who was arrested.
The police said efforts were ongoing to apprehend some alleged accomplices.
In a related incident on 15 August, police arrested Abdulhakeem Sani at Lafiagi village along the Mokwa-Jebba road after receiving information that suspected stolen goods were being offloaded at a house there.
Cartons of Nestlé beverages were recovered, while the owner of the goods was identified and contacted.
The suspect is expected to be charged in court after the investigation.
Six arrested over alleged break-in
The police further announced the arrest of six suspects for alleged shop breaking, theft, and receiving stolen property in the Maje area of Minna.
The case followed a complaint by a spare-parts dealer who reported that his shop was broken into at about 5:30 a.m. on August 14, and truck spare parts valued at ₦600,000 were stolen.
Police investigation led to the arrest of Mohammed Hassan, popularly known as Omale, 20.
The suspect allegedly confessed to the offence and named five other suspects — Mustapha Halidu, Zayannu Abubakar, Dantani Abdullahi, Idris Idris, and Aliyu Ango.
The police said the stolen items were recovered, and the suspects remained in custody as the investigation continued.
Two 1,000KVA transformers recovered
In another operation, police recovered two 1,000KVA transformers allegedly stolen from the Federal Housing Estate in Tungan-Shanu.
The transformers had reportedly been kept in the estate’s powerhouse under the custody of a security guard.
Following a distress call on August 16, police operatives launched stop-and-search operations along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway and Maje-Dikko Road.
The operation led to the interception of a Hijet vehicle allegedly conveying the stolen transformers.
The driver, 28-year-old Bilyaminu Jibrin of Maje, was arrested.
The police said Jibrin told investigators that he had been hired by Yahaya Nepa, 53, to transport the transformers to Jabi in the Federal Capital Territory.
Nepa was subsequently arrested.
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According to the police, he allegedly confessed to purchasing the transformers from Saddam Mohammed, a security guard attached to the estate who was responsible for their custody.
He allegedly bought the transformers for ₦750,000 each.
Another security guard, Samuel Adedeji, was also arrested. At the same time, police said efforts were ongoing to apprehend Saddam Mohammed and another suspect identified as Malam Rabiu, an employee of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company in Abaji.
The police said all the suspects and recovered exhibits remained in custody while the investigation continued.
The command said the suspects would be charged in court upon completion of the investigation.
Abiodun said the operations were part of the command’s sustained efforts to combat banditry, violent crime, theft and other criminal activities across Niger State.
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