The Niger State Command of the Nigeria Police has intercepted a red Toyota vehicle (Reg No. DKA 877 HJ) and recovered 15 automatic pump-action rifles and 30 cartridges concealed in a sack.
Commissioner of Police, CP Shawulu Ebenezer Danmamman, announced this at a press briefing held at the command headquarters in Minna. The vehicle, carrying three occupants including the driver, was intercepted along the Maikunkele-Tegina road based on intelligence received by the anti-kidnapping unit attached to SCID Minna.
According to CP Danmamman, the occupants fled during interrogation under the guise of easing themselves. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed the concealed firearms.
The commissioner assured journalists that efforts are ongoing to track down the vehicle's owner and arrest the fleeing suspects to uncover the source and intended use of the rifles.
In a related development, CP Danmamman also paraded 23 suspects arrested in Tafa LGA of Niger State following the nationwide "End Bad Government and Hunger" protest, which began on August 1, 2024.
The commissioner clarified that the suspects were not protesters but criminals who took advantage of the protest to mobilise and storm the Tafa LGA secretariat along the Abuja-Kaduna Motorway in Sabon Wuse. The miscreants vandalised the secretariat, set part of it ablaze, and damaged two cars and various office valuables, including computers, ceiling fans, office cabinets, chairs, and television sets.
Recovered items from the suspects included a wooden bench, office chairs, a car side mirror, a television set, ceiling fans, and other office furniture.
All suspects have been transferred to SCID Minnesota for further investigation and will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of the investigations.