The Niger State Police Command has arrested 24 suspected armed robbers during a sting operation in Minna, the state capital. Officers recovered a pump-action rifle and other dangerous weapons from the suspects.
The arrests took place around 3am on Wednesday when operatives from the Anti-Thuggery Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), alongside personnel from the Maitumbi and Central Police Stations and local vigilantes, raided targeted areas in Maitumbi.
In a statement released on Friday, the Command’s spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, explained that the operation was part of Commissioner of Police Adamu Elleman’s intensified crackdown on armed robbery, thuggery, and youth restiveness in Minna.
“On 30th July 2025, between 3am and 5:30am, operatives conducted a sting operation across Angwa-Roka, Kwari-Berger, Flamingo, and Tudun areas under Maitumbi. Twenty-four suspects were arrested at various locations,” Abiodun stated.
Among those apprehended were Abubakar Nura (23), Auwal Mohammed (20), Suleiman Hassan (21), and Alhassan Mohammed (19), all from Angwan-Roka and Maitumbi. They were found in a house reportedly used as a hideout by a notorious gang leader, Saidu Umar Namaska, who remains at large.
Police recovered the following items during the search:
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One automatic pump-action gun with two live cartridges
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A bolt cutter
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Cutlasses
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Knives and scissors
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Shisha pots
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Various illicit substances
Additional suspects included Usman Abubakar Bahago (18), Abubakar Sadiq Bahago (24), and Mubarak Abubakar (18), who were also found in another gang hideout used by a leader identified as Sudaise.
Two other suspects, Jemilu Ibrahim (23) and Jemilu Ilyasu (16), were found inside a shop near Berger Junction. When security agents attempted to arrest them, they resisted with knives and attempted to flee via the rooftop. Officers later found cutlasses and knives under their bed.
Further arrests included Shafiu Umar Chukuli (30), Daniel Joseph (16), Saidu Aminu Babayi (25), and Mustapha Mohammed (25). They were found in a house linked to the murder of a vigilante member the previous year.
According to Abiodun, 11 more suspects were detained during separate operations that morning. All suspects are currently under investigation, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the gangs.