The Niger State Police Command says it has apprehended six men accused of stealing a 300 KVA transformer along Kaduna Road.
The Command’s spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the arrests in a statement released on Saturday in Minna.
According to him, on August 20 around 9 p.m., operatives at Maje Division received actionable intelligence about one Mustapha Haladu, 28, of Kaduna Road, and his associate, Abubakar Ibrahim, 26. The duo were reportedly making arrangements to dispose of a stolen 300 KVA transformer that same night.
Acting swiftly, the Divisional Police Officer mobilised his team and mounted surveillance in the area. By 4 a.m. the following day, officers intercepted a yellow truck with registration number GWA 850 XD, loaded with the transformer. The vehicle was driven by 32-year-old Aliyu Sadi, while Haladu and Ibrahim were also on board, escorting the stolen equipment from Akilbu village in Kaduna State.
The suspects, police said, failed to produce any document showing ownership of the transformer.
Preliminary findings revealed that the gang allegedly intended to dismantle the equipment and sell it in parts.
Further investigation led to the arrest of three more accomplices: Isya Yusha’u, 28; Usama Abdullahi, 20; and Usman Suleiman, 25 — all residents of Kaduna Road.
Abiodun stated that the six suspects remain in custody and will be handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Minna for deeper investigation and possible prosecution.
