The Niger State Police Command has arrested two suspects over the murder of a Suleja resident, Alhaji Monsa, and apprehended seven others for alleged armed robbery, receiving stolen property, and aiding members of a criminal syndicate operating in Suleja and its environs.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, in a statement, said the breakthrough followed a distress call received on June 10 after a victim was robbed of a Jincheng motorcycle in the Rafin-Chinaka area of Maje.
Police operatives trailed the fleeing suspects towards the Zuba axis and arrested one Bitrus James with the stolen motorcycle.
According to the police spokesman, investigations led to the arrest of Aminu Ibrahim, Gali Ibrahim Abubakar, Ibrahim Idris, Samaila Nasiru, Mohammed Sani, Dorcas Thomas, Rejoice Samaila, and Musa Lawal.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Bitrus James, Aminu Ibrahim, Gali Ibrahim Abubakar, Ibrahim Idris, and two other suspects still at large were members of an armed robbery syndicate terrorising Suleja, Kwamba, and surrounding communities.
Abiodun said Bitrus James and Aminu Ibrahim confessed to participating in the killing of Alhaji Monsa on May 31 behind Niger Motel in Suleja, where the victim was allegedly stabbed to death with a jackknife before his motorcycle and bag were taken away.
He said Musa Lawal, identified as a major receiver of stolen motorcycles, confessed to receiving several motorcycles from members of the gang and forwarding them through Mohammed Sani to buyers in Katsina, Kaduna, and other locations.
Lawal was also accused of attempting to bribe the Divisional Police Officer handling the case.
The police spokesman further disclosed that Samaila Nasiru managed a boutique in Jabi where firearms and other dangerous weapons belonging to the gang were kept, while Rejoice Samaila allegedly harboured Bitrus James, and Dorcas Thomas provided her personal details to facilitate the opening of an account used for proceeds of crime.
Items recovered from the suspects include two locally fabricated revolver guns, an axe, a jackknife, one live cartridge, eight empty cartridges, a laptop, the deceased victim’s bag, motorcycle parts, handsets, and ATM cards.
Abiodun said all the suspects had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Minna, for further investigation and prosecution.
