32-Year-Old Suspect Arrested for Vehicle Theft in Niger

A 32-year-old man was arrested in Niger for the theft of a Toyota Rav4, reportedly hired by a syndicate. The vehicle was intercepted in Maje, leading to the suspect’s confession about stealing cars for distribution. Separately, authorities seized five bags of suspected cannabis and arrested twelve individuals during raids in Minna targeting known criminal areas.

A 32-year-old man has been apprehended by the Niger State Police Command after a stolen Toyota Rav4 was recovered in the Maje area of Minna. The police spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, shared this information in a statement on Tuesday, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria.

In his statement, Abiodun detailed how the vehicle’s owner, who resides in the Brighter area of Minna, had parked the Toyota Rav4, with registration number CE 225 RBC, along Shiroro Road on Sunday around 10:30 a.m. The owner left the vehicle momentarily to make photocopies of documents. However, upon returning, he found the car gone.

The incident was quickly reported to the Tudun-Wada Division, leading to the prompt action of the police. Information about the theft was circulated to respective divisions for immediate follow-up. Fortunately, around noon, officers at a stop-and-search point in Maje managed to intercept the stolen vehicle, leading to the arrest of the suspect hailing from Kofar-Dibi in Katsina State.

This suspect, during questioning, purportedly confessed to being contracted by a syndicate based in Abuja. His role involved stealing vehicles and delivering them to locations such as Dikko Junction. Curiously, he also claimed involvement in thefts in other cities, including Zaria and Kaduna, providing stolen vehicles to various drop-off points across northern Nigeria.

In a separate operation conducted recently, Abiodun reported that the police recovered five bags of suspected cannabis and arrested twelve individuals. This enforcement action targeted locations notorious for criminal activities, with raids executed by officers from the Central Police Division alongside local vigilantes early Sunday and Monday.

The operations focused on criminal hotspots in areas like Paida and Abdulsalam Quarters. During these targeted raids, five bags of suspected cannabis were confiscated from a residence at Abdulsalam Quarters. An 18-year-old male was arrested, claiming the bags belonged to another individual who has yet to be located.

Additionally, three more suspects were detained during these raids in Barkin-Sale, Kasuwan-Gwari, and Market areas. They, alongside all arrested individuals, are currently under investigation and will be processed in court after the inquiry wraps up,

To summarize, a 32-year-old man was arrested in Niger after a stolen Toyota Rav4 was recovered. Investigations revealed he was allegedly part of a syndicate from Abuja. Also, in separate police operations, authorities seized five bags of suspected cannabis and arrested twelve suspects associated with various criminal activities. All arrested individuals are now under investigation and will face charges as the police complete their inquiries.

Original Source: punchng.com