The Police in Niger have arrested a suspected armed robber and two Point of Sale (POS) machine thieves in separate incidents in the state.
The Command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Wasiu Abiodun, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Monday, that the suspected robbers was arrested by a police patrol team on May 5 in Suleja.
He said that the police patrol team had intercepted a motorcycle rider and his passenger, who attempted to escape but were pursued and subsequently one was arrested while the other escaped.
Abiodun said that the arrested suspect Kelechi Unanka, 25, from Mpapa in Abuja, was found with a bag containing a Baretta pistol and an empty magazine.
“Unanka claimed to have received the pistol from an unknown person.
“The case will be transferred to SCID Minna for further investigation and prosecution,” he said.
The PPRO also said in a separate incident, two suspects were arrested for stealing from POS.
He said one Augustine Odiokwu Nonso, 28, a POS attendant, was arrested on April 20, after absconding with a POS machine and stealing N170,000.
According to him, the suspect has confessed to using the money to gamble. He has been charged to court for prosecution.
“Also, one Ahmed Mohammed, 20, was arrested on May 5, for stealing a POS machine at Kainji junction.
“He confessed to replacing the machine with a faulty one and withdrawing N293,000, which he also used to gamble (sportybet),” he said.
According to him, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Shawulu Dan-Mamman, had commended its officers for their swift action.
He quoted the commissioner as encouraging the public to continue providing useful information to aid in the fight against crime.