A suspected car thief identified as Nathaniel Andrew, has been arrested by men of the Niger State Police Command.
NIGERIACRIME learnt that a stolen Toyota Corolla vehicle was recovered from the suspect, who was apprehended along the Minna-Suleja road while en route to Gbaiko to visit his parents.
Confirming the arrest, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Wasiu Abiodun, said the police patrol team attached to Paiko Division, made the arrest on January 3, 2024, at approximately 5:00 pm.
“On 03/01/2024 at about 1700hrs, the Police patrol team attached to Paiko Division arrested one Nathaniel Andrew aged 32yrs of Gbaiko area of Minna, with a Toyota Corolla LE vehicle, red in colour without a registration number suspected to have been stolen,” the statement read.
According to the statement, Nathaniel was trying to sell the spare tire of the vehicle to raise money to repair the mechanical fault developed on the way, claiming that he had no money in his possession. These actions were suspicious, and he was arrested.
During interrogation, Nathaniel confessed to stealing the vehicle from the Central Area, Abuja.
He explained that he found the vehicle key on the car door and used it to drive the vehicle away to Minna, stating that he intended to sell the stolen vehicle in Kaduna before his arrest.
The police have transferred him to the Crack Squad unit for further investigation and prosecution.
Similarly, the Kaduna State Police Command has arrested an alleged notorious criminal who specialises in snatching motorcycles in Dan Bami Village of Hunkuyi Local Government Area of the state.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, confirmed the arrest to newsmen in Kaduna on Friday.
Hassan said, “On January 12, at about 1805hrs, acting on credible information, the surveillance team, in collaboration with Kaduna State Vigilance Service, stormed Dan Bami Village and arrested the suspect.”
According to him, in the course of the investigation, the suspect confessed to committing the crime.
Hassan revealed that the suspect named his accomplices.
He said that an investigation was ongoing and that the command’s operatives were still on a trail of the other allegedly fleeing suspects.
He appealed for timely and useful information from the public to enable the command take proactive measures.