Police in Niger State have arrested a butcher, one Murtala Dan-Azumi in the Tunga area of Minna, the Niger State capital, for allegedly buying and selling stolen goats from thieves.
Parading the suspects, the Niger State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, said the butcher was arrested following the arrest of three suspects who specialised in stealing and selling goats in Minna.
Abiodun said the suspected thieves, Shehu Buhari (25), Musa Idris (40), both of Barkin-Sale, Minna, and Idrisu Aliyu (aka Dagrin, 22) of Kaffintela, Minna, were arrested while stealing goats around Kpakungu and Soje areas of Minna.
“The syndicate was sighted and the police were alerted immediately. While the TST team responded, the thieves zoomed off in a Honda Civic vehicle with Reg. No. MNA 342 AA.
“The vehicle was intercepted around Shiroro Hotel and three suspects were arrested,” he said.
The PPRO said during interrogation, the suspects said they had been stealing goats in Minna for the past five years to survive, adding that they had stolen over 500 goats at different locations in Minna.
He said they further confessed to have been selling the stolen goats for between N10, 000 and N15, 000, depending on the size, to butchers in Maitumbi and Tunga areas, adding that Idris Dagrin’s vehicle, Honda Civic, is always being used to convey the animals.
“The suspects mentioned two receivers, out of which; one Murtala Dan-Azumi of Tunga was arrested, and Hussaini Yahaya is at large. Effort is ongoing to arrest the said Labaran and Hussaini,” the PPRO said.
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