Operatives of the Niger State Police Command have dismantled a suspected interstate car theft network, arresting suspects and recovering two stolen vehicles in coordinated operations across Minna and Bida.
The Police Public Relations, SP Wasiu Abiodun, in a statement on Tuesday said the arrests made by the State Intelligence Department (SID), followed actionable intelligence.
According to him, one of the suspects, 49-year-old Abdulfatai Abdulganiyu from Kano, was tracked to a hotel along Mandela Road in Minna, where he was found in possession of a stolen Honda CR-V.
Police investigations revealed that the vehicle had been stolen in Kano and transported to Niger State for sale.
“The suspect allegedly received the car from an accomplice, identified as Musa Abdulrazak, and drove it to Minna in search of a buyer,” the police spokesman stated.
Further findings led to the arrest of a second suspect, Nura Umar, 28, in Bida.
The PRO disclosed that Umar was found with another suspected stolen vehicle, a Toyota Corolla, which he reportedly purchased for ₦1.1 million, while paying ₦700,000 upfront.
According to police sources, Umar admitted that the suspect had supplied him with the Corolla earlier in April and had promised to deliver another vehicle before his arrest.
SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed that investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the syndicate.
