Police Arrest Three Suspects Posing as EFCC Operatives in Niger

Police in Niger arrested three suspects impersonating EFCC operatives in an alleged kidnapping and robbery incident involving students at Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University. Two informants were also apprehended. The suspects demanded a ransom while wielding electric tasers as weapons. Investigation is ongoing, emphasizing the need for heightened security in student environments.

The Niger Police Command has apprehended three individuals impersonating operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), who allegedly kidnapped and robbed students from the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University in Lapai. The police’s spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, revealed in a statement on Friday from Minna that two other accomplices were also taken into custody.

The incident reportedly took place on the evening of May 13, around 8:00 PM, when the suspects invaded a student lodge. They purportedly abducted two students, claiming to be affiliated with the EFCC. The police quickly responded, tracing the suspects in a Toyota Corolla, bearing registration number ABJ 245 CU, to Suleja Road by Kwakuti.

Abiodun identified the primary suspects as Emmanuel Linus, aged 30, from Deidei; Hyelda Aliyu, 28, from Nyanya; and Abduljallid Tanko, 33, from Karu, all based in Abuja. One other suspect, named Alfa James, managed to flee during the police operation. The arrested suspects admitted to being invited by informants to perform these illegal activities, which they claimed constituted their source of income.

During the abduction, the suspects entered one of the student’s rooms brandishing electric tasers as though they were firearms, from which they stole five mobile phones and seized the two victims, demanding an exorbitant ransom of N10 million. They were ultimately negotiated down to N500,000 before their apprehension.

Furthermore, the suspects disclosed that the fake ID cards they utilized were produced at a shop in Nyanya, Abuja, all featuring the same identification number, 1069. The two informants implicated in the case—Mohammed Hassan and Hamisu Adamu, both residing in Angwan-Hausa in Lapai—were said to have provided Emmanuel Linus with personal information about the students, stemming from prior acquaintance in Paiko.

Abiodun noted that Linus is a dismissed soldier with a history of criminal activity, having been convicted two years ago. The investigation is still ongoing under the State Criminal Investigation Department. Following its completion, the suspects will face court charges based on the findings.

This case highlights the troubling issue of impersonation and crime within educational institutions in Niger. The swift actions taken by law enforcement show their commitment to student safety, however, the continued existence of such criminal activities underlines the need for heightened awareness and preventive measures. As investigations proceed, authorities are likely to push for strict legal repercussions against those involved in these alarming offenses.

Original Source: punchng.com