The State Police command has at least four people in custody who are accused of conspiring and stealing after they said they stole more than 500 goats from various locations in Minna, the capital of Niger State.
According to information obtained, the suspects have been stealing goats from their owners for more than five years.
But on Monday, they had bad luck in the Minna suburb of Kpakungu-Soje, leading to their detention.
Last Monday at around 1pm, the syndicate was apprehended by the police after information from reliable sources exposed their operations.
The suspects were detained in a Honda Civic with the registration number MNA 342 AA, which is typically used to transport animals away from crime scenes in and around the Shiroro Hotel area of the town, according to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, PRO, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, who verified the arrest in Minna.
He said that during questioning, the suspects revealed that goats taken from their owners were typically sold for between N10,000 and N15,000 to butchers in the Maitumbi and Tunga regions of Minna, depending on their size.
Shehu Buhari, 25, Musa Idris, 40, and Idrisu Aliyu (Dagrin), 22, are the accused; the fourth suspect is still at large. They are all from Barkin-Sale, Minn.
Additionally, they stated that they have been stealing goats in Minna for the past five years as their primary means of subsistence, and that they have already taken over 500 goats from various sites throughout the city.
He claims that Idris Dagrin’s Honda Civic is always utilized to transport the animals.
After they confessed, the Police PRO said that two receivers, including Murtala Dan-Azumi of Tunga, had been detained. Meanwhile, searches for Hussaini Yahaya and Labaran Hussaini are still ongoing.
The instances are being looked into, and as soon as the inquiry is complete, all suspects will be brought before a judge to face charges.