Sixteen suspects arrested for thuggery, possession of weapon by Niger Police

The Niger Police have arrested no fewer than sixteen persons for alleged thuggery, disturbance of public peace and being in possession of dangerous weapons and Cannabis

The state Public Relations Officer SP Wasiu Abiodun, who made this known in Minna said, the arrest was in a further response to the Command among other actions taken to curb the recent reports of phone snatching and attack of unsuspecting members of the public within the state capital metropolis.

He explained that they were picked up on the 15th of October, 2024 at about 0400hrs, based on information received that some armed miscreants were sighted along Eastern Bye-pass by PDP Secretariat, Minna.

“Police operatives of Tudun-Wada Division were drafted to the area and surveillance was emplaced to monitor the situation and in the process, sixteen suspected miscreants/thugs were found to have lodged in a room at a hotel along the Bye-pass,” the PRO disclosed.

Exhibits recovered from them include two cutlasses, two knives, suspected cannabis, shisha apparatus and injection substances.

The suspects arrested are Hafis Yakubu 24yrs, Alhassan Aliyu 15yrs, Abubakar Aminu 15yrs, Badamasi Abdulmumini 18yrs, Hassan Sani 14yrs, Fahad Idris 14yrs, Abubakar Yusuf 15yrs, Sadiq Aliyu 17yrs, Mustapha Yakubu 18yrs, Masaud Idris 15yrs.

Others are Usman Abubakar 19yrs, Adamu Abdulmumini 15yrs all of Abdulsalam quarters, while Nasiru Kabiru 15yrs, Mubarak Ibrahim 18yrs, Abubakar Sani 14yrs and Abdulsamad Abubakar 15yrs are of Kuta road, Minna

Abiodun revealed that during interrogation, the suspects claimed that they were at the said hotel for the birthday celebration of Hafis Yakubu and that the dangerous weapons were for their personal protection against Kafintella youths.

According to him, ” They had been involved in incessant fights with Kafintella boys”.

” Other areas of spotlight are Angwan-Roka, New-market and Maitumbi where about 30 suspects were raided, arrested and charged to court. Similarly, Bajego area of Okada road is also being monitored, one Shabban Umar was arrested in the area with sharp scissors, while Mohammed Zakari a.k.a (M2) and one other known as (that guy) escaped from the scene, meanwhile, monitoring and patrol of strategic locations continue”, the state Police stated.

However, all the suspects are under investigation at the Tudun-Wada Division and they will be prosecuted accordingly, after the investigation.