The Jigawa State Police Command has arrested 14 suspects and recovered stolen cows, motorcycles, cable wires and a goat in a series of operations targeting cattle rustling, theft and vandalism across the state.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Shi’isu Adam, disclosed the arrests in a statement issued on Friday in Dutse, saying the operations were driven by intelligence and supported by vigilante groups and community watch teams.
Four suspects were arrested on September 1 after police operatives attached to Jahun Division intercepted a Volkswagen Golf wagon parked near Lautai Village with three cows inside.
The suspects were identified as Sunusi Muhammad, 45; Yaro Danladi, 25; Nuhu Mohammed and Adamu Muhammad, 25, all from Abunabo Village in Guri Local Government Area.
Adam said they confessed during interrogation and were transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Dutse for further investigation.
On the same day, police arrested Aliyu Mohammed, 27, of Gashua in Yobe State, along the Hadejia-Kano Road while riding a TVS motorcycle.
The police said Mohammed could not satisfactorily explain the motorcycle’s ownership and later confessed to stealing it from Maradi, Niger Republic, allegedly intending to sell it in Kano.
In a separate operation, Gwiwa Police Division arrested three residents of Indirawa Village over the alleged theft of security-light cable wires valued at N700,000. The suspects were identified as Usamatu Abdullahi, 20; Yusuf Salisu, 19; and Yakubu Abdullahi, 19.
Police also recovered a red Bajaj motorcycle reported stolen from a farm at Manuna Yabaza Village. The owner, Aminu Aliyu, reported the theft on September 8, leading to the arrest of Ibrahim Rabiu, 35, who police said confessed to the offence.
Another suspect, Mohammed Bello Aminu, 18, was arrested in Birnin Kudu with armoured cable wire allegedly stolen from the Gidan Dawaki area of Bamaina district.
In Garki and Ringim local government areas, Musa Adamu, 30, and Alhassan Usman, 40, were arrested with a goat and an unregistered blue Honda motorcycle suspected to have been stolen. Police said both suspects confessed during interrogation.
A joint patrol involving police and the Kazaure Community Neighbourhood Watch also recovered a new red Daylong motorcycle hidden on farmland along the Kazaure-Yankwashi Road.
Police said the motorcycle belonged to Umar Ado, 20, of Takwasa Village, who was allegedly knocked down by passengers on September 3 before the motorcycle was taken away. Efforts to arrest those responsible are ongoing.
In Hadejia, police and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force arrested Ibrahim Badamasi, 19, with Boxer motorcycle parts suspected to have been stolen.
The suspect allegedly confessed to receiving the motorcycle from Auwal Kabiru, 23, before dismantling it. Kabiru was subsequently arrested and reportedly identified Abba Isa Ruwa, a suspected criminal who remains at large, as the source of the motorcycle.
Police also recovered various spanners allegedly used to dismantle motorcycles from the residence of one of the suspects.
The command said investigations into the cases were ongoing and the suspects would be prosecuted after investigations were completed.
Commissioner of Police Tijjani Murtala commended police personnel, vigilante members, community neighbourhood watch teams and the CJTF for their cooperation in the operations.
Police arrest 14 suspects, recover stolen cows, motorcycles in Jigawa
