Niger: Police parade two for impersonation, theft, unlawful possession of arms

The Niger State Police Command has arrested two suspects over alleged false impersonation, theft, unlawful possession of firearms, as well as arms dealing, and recovery of arms in the state.

The suspects include Sabiu Hassan, 26, of El-waziri area of Bosso, and Ibrahim Ahore of Beji, Bosso LG of the state.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO), Waisiu Abiodun, who stated this in Minna on Monday, said the arrest was a continuation of the Command’s effort to fight crime and criminality in Niger State.

According to him, “On March 28, 2024, at about 1600hrs, a direct complaint was received at Bosso Div from a victim in Hayin-Gwari area that two persons who were dressed in police and vigilante T-shirts intercepted him as a motorcyclist at Hayin-Gwari on March 25, 2024, at about 1930hrs on his Bajaj motorcycle with Reg. No. MNA 121 CV valued at about N70,000, without any justification.”

“The victim was instructed by the suspects to produce the particulars of the motorcycle, while he rushed home for the documents. On his return, he discovered that the two men had disappeared to an unknown location with his motorcycle.”

The PRO further disclosed that during a painstaking investigation, the motorcycle was later found in the residence of Sabiu Hassan, and on further search, one locally-made pistol was also recovered from him.

“During interrogation, Sabiu confessed that he stole the motorcycle, as he intentionally refused to take the motorcycle to the police division with the intent to dispose of it. He mentioned his accomplice as one Kabiru, a fellow vigilante member of Bosso presently at large.”

“Sabiu led the police team to a local fabricator named; Ibrahim Ahore at Beji, who confessed that he had been a manufacturer of locally made guns and that his son Abdullahi Ibrahim sold the pistol to Sabiu,” he further revealed.

Items recovered include: two locally-made double-barrel guns, one double-barrel dane gun, six single-barrel dane guns, two iron rods for making guns.

Efforts are ongoing to apprehend Kabiru and Abdullahi, while Sabiu and Ahore have been transferred to SCID Minna, and they have been charged to court.