The Niger State Police Command has arrested several suspects in connection with alleged assassination plots, thuggery, drug cultivation, illegal migration, and attempted culpable homicide across the state.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed that two suspected assassins were apprehended on August 23 at the Beji railway crossing in the Maikunkele area of Bosso Local Government.
The suspects, identified as Muhammad Mohammed, 40, and Mohammed Usman, 35, were found in possession of a locally made pistol, a live cartridge, and the sum of ₦13,000.
According to Abiodun, both men confessed during interrogation that they were contracted by one Dogo of Beji to carry out an assassination near the railway crossing. They claimed they were promised ₦100,000 for the operation and had already received ₦13,000 as transport expenses before their arrest while attempting to collect the balance.
Preliminary findings by the Niger State Police Command indicate that the assassination attempt was allegedly orchestrated by Dogo, who reportedly sought to eliminate the victim for marrying his former wife.
The two arrested suspects have been handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation and possible prosecution, while efforts to track down Dogo are ongoing, according to the Command’s spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun.
In a separate operation carried out on August 26, the Command’s Anti-Thuggery Squad raided Soje A, Soje B, and Kpakungu communities in Minna between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. Nine suspects, aged between 14 and 27, were taken into custody. The raid also led to the recovery of two suspected stolen solar batteries, five knives, cutlasses, and a digger.
The Niger State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of two suspected illegal immigrants from Senegal at Fadikpe, Minna, on August 21.
The suspects, identified as 25-year-olds Saidu Jah and Sirinjuf Jibrin, were unable to communicate in English and spoke only French. According to the Command, they could not provide any credible explanation regarding their presence in the state.
An interpreter was engaged during their interrogation, but no useful information was obtained. The duo has since been handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for further investigation and appropriate action.
