Police in Niger State have arrested two men in connection with the murder of a Suleja resident named Alhaji Monsa. Seven others were also apprehended for armed robbery and receiving stolen goods.
SP Wasiu Abiodun, the police spokesman, disclosed the arrests in a statement on Thursday. The breakthrough came after officers responded to a distress call on June 10.
A victim had reported being robbed of a Jincheng motorcycle in the Rafin-Chinaka area of Maje. Police tracked the fleeing suspects toward Zuba and arrested Bitrus James with the stolen bike.
Investigations then led to the arrest of seven more suspects: Aminu Ibrahim, Gali Ibrahim Abubakar, Ibrahim Idris, Samaila Nasiru, Mohammed Sani, Dorcas Thomas, Rejoice Samaila, and Musa Lawal. Two additional gang members remain at large.
According to Abiodun, Bitrus James and Aminu Ibrahim confessed to killing Alhaji Monsa on May 31. The victim was stabbed with a jackknife behind Niger Motel in Suleja, the spokesman noted.
After the attack, the suspects stole the man's motorcycle and bag. Police say the gang had been terrorizing Suleja, Kwamba, and neighboring communities.
Musa Lawal emerged as a key receiver of stolen motorcycles, Abiodun explained. Lawal allegedly forwarded bikes through Mohammed Sani to buyers in Katsina, Kaduna, and beyond.
Investigators also say Lawal tried to bribe the Divisional Police Officer handling the case. He admitted to receiving several motorcycles from gang members.
Samaila Nasiru, who operates a boutique in Jabi, allegedly stored the gang's firearms and weapons there. Rejoice Samaila harbored Bitrus James at her residence.
Dorcas Thomas provided her personal details to help open a bank account for crime proceeds. Police recovered two locally made guns, an axe, and a jackknife from the suspects.
Officers also found one live cartridge and eight spent rounds at the scene. A laptop, the victim's bag, motorcycle parts, mobile phones, and ATM cards were recovered.
All nine suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Minna. They await further investigation and prosecution, Abiodun said.
