By Deborah Nnamdi
The Niger State Police Command has recorded major successes in its ongoing fight against crime with the arrest of a suspected female arms and ammunition courier, a notorious child abductor, and several other criminal suspects across the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists in Minna.
According to the statement, operatives of the Force Intelligence Department (FID) and the Special Tactical Squad (STS), acting on credible intelligence, arrested a 35-year-old woman, Zuwaira Usman, from Pandogari in Rafi Local Government Area, on November 4, 2025. She is alleged to have specialised in transporting ammunition for criminal elements.
Police investigations revealed that Usman was recruited by a suspect identified as Lawali, based in Birnin-Gwari, Kaduna State, and sent to Warri, Delta State, to collect a consignment. The items, concealed in a flask, were later discovered to contain 2,500 rounds of AK-47 ammunition. Another suspect, Ahmed, was arrested in Delta State in connection with the case, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend Lawali.
In a related development, STS operatives on November 27, 2025, arrested Aminu Ahmed, 25, of Kontagora, for his alleged involvement in the abduction of three children and the collection of ransom payments amounting to millions of naira.
The suspect reportedly confessed to abducting minors between January and November 2025, transporting them to Lagos, Ilorin, and other locations, negotiating ransom payments with their families, and later abandoning the victims at different sites. He is currently under intensive investigation.
The command also recorded successes in curbing illegal arms possession. On November 3, 2025, a patrol team attached to the Gawu-Babangida Division arrested one Muhammed Mahmud, 25, of the Zuba area, along the Izom–Abuchi–Suleja road. He was found in possession of a locally fabricated pistol loaded with a cartridge and has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Minna for further investigation.
Similarly, on December 10, 2025, operatives of Operation Flush attached to the Chanchaga Division arrested two suspected phone snatchers, Hassan Abdullahi, 19, and Khalifa Bashir, 21, both residents of Minna. The suspects were intercepted in a tricycle at the Old City Gate, where three Android phones suspected of having been stolen were recovered. They reportedly confessed to robbing passengers and will be charged in court accordingly.
In another operation on December 12, 2025, patrol teams attached to the Maje Division recovered two improvised firearms concealed in bushes near a mountain around Zuma Rock along the Kaduna–Abuja Expressway. The weapons were believed to have been used by armed robbers operating in the area.
On the same day, two suspected armed robbers, Adamu Usman, 29, and Umar Mohammed Bello, 31, were arrested in Kagarko, Kaduna State, in connection with an armed robbery incident in Suleja. Another suspect, Zakariyau Mohammed, was also arrested for alleged conspiracy and theft of household items.
The Niger State Police Command reassured residents of its commitment to sustained intelligence-led policing and urged the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to enhance safety and security across the state.
