Police Arrest Three Suspected Vehicle Thieves, Recover Four Tricycles In Kano

The Kano State Police Command has arrested three suspected vehicle thieves and recovered four allegedly stolen tricycles as well as a maroon Pontiac vehicle in separate intelligence-led operations across Kano and neighbouring states.

The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Kiyawa, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, noting that the operations were carried out in collaboration with other security formations.

According to the statement, the first incident occurred on August 4 after Abubakar Ali of Danmarke, Hotoro Quarters, reported the theft of his tricycle at the Bompai Police Division.

Ali told the police that he had picked 23-year-old Muhammad Sani as a passenger while riding along Hadejia Road. Sani, who allegedly had bandages on his hand and leg and claimed to be injured, reportedly asked the tricycle operator to stop at a supermarket to purchase some items.

The police said Sani allegedly used another key to start the tricycle and drove away while Ali was inside the supermarket.

Following the report, officers at Bompai alerted neighbouring police divisions, leading to Sani’s arrest by a patrol team from the Bichi Police Division.

Further investigation reportedly led detectives to Katsina State, where they arrested another suspected member of the syndicate, 33-year-old Aminu Saad. Four allegedly stolen tricycles were recovered from him.

The command said the tricycles were believed to have been stolen using a similar method, adding that Saad confessed to being a member of the syndicate.

The recovered tricycles have since been returned to their respective owners, while efforts are ongoing to arrest other members of the alleged criminal network.

In a separate operation, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad arrested 23-year-old Isah Yusuf of Titin Jajira, Rijiyar Lemo, Kano, on July 25.

Yusuf was reportedly found in possession of a maroon Pontiac vehicle without a registration number. He allegedly told investigators that he purchased the vehicle from Niger Republic through an individual identified as Ashiru Mohammed, also known as Mai Gold.

Further investigation, however, reportedly established that the vehicle had been stolen from Taraba State before being taken to Niger Republic, where it was sold to a dealer and later brought back into Nigeria.

The police have appealed to the vehicle’s rightful owner to come forward with valid proof of ownership through the Anti-Kidnapping Squad or the office of the Police Public Relations Officer at the Bompai Police Headquarters.

The Commissioner of Police in Kano State, Ibrahim Bakori, commended the officers involved in the operations, describing the recoveries as evidence of the effectiveness of intelligence-led policing and inter-agency collaboration.

Bakori assured residents that the command would continue to intensify efforts to identify and dismantle criminal networks operating in Kano and its environs.

He also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to the police.