27 arrested as Niger Police raid criminal hideouts, nab suspected illegal miners
Niger State Police Arrest 27 Suspects in Coordinated Raids
Minna, Niger State — The Niger State Police Command has apprehended 27 suspects following coordinated raids on criminal hideouts in Minna, including 10 men who reportedly confessed to traveling from Yobe State for illegal mining activities.
The arrests were made during operations conducted by the Tudun-Wada Division on July 4 and 5, according to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun. He indicated that these sting operations targeted known hotspots in the Kafintella, Sauka-Kahuta, and Building Materials Road areas.
During the raids, police seized various dangerous weapons including a long curved sickle, a digger, a stick, and a shovel. The suspects were subsequently transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Minna for further investigations.
In addition to the initial arrests, operatives from ‘A’ Division executed overnight raids on July 6 in the PZ area, Angwan-Kaje, Saiko, Abdusalam Quarters, Tudun-Natsira, and Paida, leading to the apprehension of 17 more suspects.
Among those detained was Abdulkarim Mohammed, known as “Na-Kareemu,” a notorious figure previously evading arrest for his involvement in other criminal activities.
Authorities found the suspects in possession of several items, including four cutlasses, two knives, cannabis, and other illicit substances. Investigations are ongoing, and the command emphasized that these operations are part of a broader effort to combat crime and enhance public safety in the state.