The Niger State Police Command has arrested 18 suspects in connection with illegal mining, armed robbery, transformer theft, and the recovery of stolen pharmaceutical products during a series of intelligence-led operations in Minna and Suleja.
In a statement issued on Saturday, August 23, 2025, by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, the arrests followed coordinated raids by Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and their teams.
On August 18, operatives of the Central Police Station, Minna, stormed an illegal mining site around the mechanic bye-pass and arrested four suspects: Samaila Nuhu (20), Ahmad Mohammed (17), Musa Aliyu (20), and Umar Salihu (47). Police recovered three diggers, six shovels, and 10 headpans from the scene, while other accomplices fled.
A day later, four suspects were apprehended in connection with a violent robbery on Fadama Mandela Road, Sauka-Kahuta, Minna. Victims reported that a gang of 16 men robbed them on August 18, stealing a mobile phone worth ₦75,000, ₦158,000 cash, foodstuffs, and personal items. One victim was stabbed in the leg during the attack. Arrested suspects — Mamud Mohammed, Abubakar Musa, Amadu Umar, and Abdulkadir Suleiman — were identified by victims. Recovered items included SIM cards from the stolen phone, screwdrivers, knives, cutlasses, and charms.
Similarly, six men were arrested for conspiracy and theft of a 300KVA transformer. Acting on intelligence, operatives from Maje Division intercepted a yellow truck carrying the transformer along Kaduna Road in the early hours of August 21. The suspects — Mustapha Haladu (28), Abubakar Ibrahim (26), Aliyu Sadi (32), Isya Yusha’u (28), Usama Abdullahi (20), and Usman Suleiman (25) — failed to present proof of ownership. Investigations revealed plans to dismantle and sell the transformer in parts.
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In another operation on August 19, officers in Suleja recovered eight cartons of pharmaceutical products, including Amodiaquine, Sulfadoxine, and Pyrimethamine, abandoned in the Sandaco area. Police said the source and ownership of the drugs are under investigation.
The Command assured residents that all arrested suspects would face prosecution upon conclusion of investigations, while efforts to apprehend fleeing accomplices are ongoing.
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