Operatives of the Niger State Police Command have arrested 30 suspected thugs participating in the Maulud celebration in the state.
The police command spokesman, Wasui Abiodun, made this known in a statement on Monday, stating that the suspects were arrested from different areas in Minna, the state capital.
Abiodun listed the areas of Minna where the suspects were nabbed to include Angwan-Sarki, Limawa, Angwan-Daji, New-Market, Sabon-Gari, Kuta Road, Obasanjo Complex, Ogbomosho Street, Lagos Street, and Central Roundabout, Minna.
He also identified the suspects as Zahradeen Ibrahim (a.k.a Lagos boy) of Lagos Street, Dauda Usman of 123 Qtrs, Abubakar Ibrahim of Kpakungu, Bashir Safiyanu of Sabon-Gari, Ashiru Rabiu of Barkin-Saleh, and Abba Musa of Angwan-Mahuta.
“On 06/9/2025, during the Maulud procession in Minna, within the period of 7am-9pm, police operatives attached to the ‘A’ Div Minna on surveillance and monitoring patrols arrested 30 suspects from different locations of Angwan-Sarki, Limawa, Angwan-Daji, New-Market, Sabon-Gari, Kuta road, Obasanjo Complex, Ogbomosho street, Lagos Street, and Central roundabout, Minna.
“Some of the suspects arrested include: Abdullahi Ibrahim of Keterengwari, Zahradeen Ibrahim (a.k.a Lagos boy) of Lagos Street, Dauda Usman of 123 Qtrs.
“Abubakar Ibrahim of Kpakungu, Bashir Safiyanu of Sabon-Gari, Ashiru Rabiu of Barkin-Saleh, Abba Musa of Angwan, Mahuta, Mohammed Abubakar of Kuta Road, and others.”
He stated that exhibits recovered from the suspects also included three knives, three cutlasses, one iron rod, scissors, cannabis, shisha apparatus, and other illicit chemical substances, stressing that all the suspects were under investigation and would be charged in court for thuggery.
The command also arrested a Kwara State suspect, Muhhammad Usman, in possession of two locally fabricated guns with six rounds of live ammunition.
He told the police that he bought the arms in Soba village via Kaboji, Mashegu LGA of Niger State at the rate of N180,000 each, and the ammunition at N5,000 each from a yet-to-be-identified person.
Abiodun, who also confirmed the arrest, said Usman of Guiye-Doko village, Edu LGA of Kwara State, was arrested in Makera town while operatives were on routine patrol.
He said that an investigation was ongoing to arrest the seller of the guns and ammunition.
