•Govt House Police Officer arrested for ‘supplying’ arms to bandits
Suspected armed gunmen have abducted the wife of a Point-of-Sale (POS) operator identified as Precious Musa during a midnight raid on Ebbo community in Lapai Local Government Area.
It was learnt that the gunmen who were armed invaded the community around midnight yesterday, firing into the air for nearly an hour and force residents indoors before abducting their victim who just gave birth three months ago leaving her baby behind.
A resident of the community said the attackers created panic, leaving the community deserted.
“They came around midnight and kept shooting in the air for about an hour. Nobody could come out. They kidnapped a woman named Precious, the wife of Mr Monday Musa, a popular Point-of-Sale (PoS) operator in Ebbo. She gave birth just three months ago, but her baby was left behind. They also took one Mr Anthony, but he managed to escape and returned this morning,” the resident narrated.
It was learnt that the residents had been on alert over the presence of unfamiliar faces in the community for about four days prior to the attack.
The vigilante group, which conducts patrols, was reportedly not on duty at the time of the incident.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident.”
Also, a Police Inspector attached to the Niger State Government House, Minna, has been arrested for allegedly selling arms and ammunition to bandits and other criminals across the state.
The suspect identified as Inspector John Moses confessed to the crime, but he accused the late Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Abdullahi Isah as a culprit too.
The development followed an investigation that led to the death of the DSP. Isah was attached to the Police Mobile Force 12 in Minna before his death.
Moses have been arrested as investigations linked him to the diversion of firearms and ammunition meant for official security operations.
Wasiu, who confirmed the incident, said Moses had said he sold the items to bandits and hoodlums in Erena community of Shiroro Local Government Area, using his brother as a middleman.
An audit indicated that 13 AK-47 rifles and more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition were missing, with discrepancies identified in the AK-47 inventory.
It was during the investigation when Isah was escorted to the armoury for verification that he took a pistol and shot himself in the head, dying instantly.
Everyone linked to the deceased in the sales of the arms have been arrested and under investigation, a source said.
