Niger police arrest suspects, recover stolen items

The police have arrested several suspects for cyberbullying, defamation, assault, and theft. They also recovered stolen property and saved two children whose father's vehicle was reportedly taken in Suleja.

These incidents happened between 14 and 19 October. The Niger State command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, shared this in a crime bulletin on Friday.

In one case, the police arrested a 30-year-old man, Bello Darlington, from the Maikunkele area of Minna. He was accused of cyberbullying, spreading falsehoods, and defaming someone.

The police said they arrested him on 14 October after receiving a complaint about a video on his TikTok account, “wethepeople_government.” In the video, he allegedly claimed that the Commissioner of Police and the head of an institution were plotting to harm someone.

According to the bulletin, Bello could not provide proof for his claims during questioning. The police are checking other videos on his account and continuing the investigation before he goes to court.

In another case, a 28-year-old woman, Safiya Tukur, was arrested for allegedly cutting her husband's private part with a sharp object. This happened during a fight at their home in the Darusalam area of Kpakungu, Minna.

The incident occurred around 10 a.m. on 15 October after the couple had a misunderstanding. The police said they rushed the victim to General Hospital, Minna, while they arrested the suspect.

Safiya was later taken to court and is now waiting for her trial.

In Bida, police rescued a man named Mustapha Suleiman, who was accused of motorcycle theft. A mob was about to attack him on 15 October.

The police said Mustapha tried to steal a Bajaj motorcycle with registration number MNA 66 US. While being questioned, he named an accomplice, Aliyu Baba-Ndachiko, from Darachita area, who is still at large.

Mustapha claimed his accomplice took him to Masaba area around 7:30 p.m. and showed him a motorcycle parked outside a shop. He said he tried to start the motorcycle but found out it had no fuel. His actions raised suspicion, which led to the crowd gathering.

The police recovered the motorcycle, and Mustapha was charged in court. They are still looking for his accomplice.

In another operation, police in Mokwa arrested a 57-year-old man, Yusuf Sani, from Tungan-Noma. He was accused of having two stolen cows.

This arrest happened after police received a tip-off on 16 October that the cows were seen at his home. During questioning, Yusuf claimed he got the cows from Abdullahi Dandamega from Tungan-Noma village for safekeeping. Abdullahi is also on the run.

The police confirmed they identified the cows' owner and contacted him. They are still working to catch Abdullahi and any other suspects before taking the case to court.

Meanwhile, police in Suleja rescued two children, aged eight and 12, after finding their father's Toyota Highlander, which had gone missing with them inside on 19 October.

The police said the children’s father had taken them to a government school in Suleja to apply for admission but was denied because of missing documents. According to the bulletin, he parked the vehicle by the roadside and gave the keys to the children while he went to photocopy documents at a nearby computer shop. When he returned, both the vehicle and the children were gone.

After getting a report at Maje Division around 10:32 a.m., the Divisional Police Officer sent officers to the scene. They talked to the school’s security staff and started a search along the Abuja-Kaduna highway.

The vehicle, with registration number ABJ 810 GZ, was later found abandoned along the highway. The two children were there but unharmed. The police said the children explained they had fallen asleep waiting for their father.

The police recovered the vehicle and are still investigating the incident. They urged the public to keep giving useful information to help fight crime and keep Niger State safe.