The Kano State Police Command has arrested four suspects and recovered three stolen vehicles in separate intelligence-led operations carried out between October 8 and 9.
The command said the operations were conducted by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad and the Ungogo Police Division, leading to the recovery of a Toyota Corolla, a Toyota Hiace minibus and a Mitsubishi Canter truck.
The Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Kiyawa, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, detailing how the vehicles were allegedly stolen and subsequently recovered.
According to the statement, the first operation involved a 2010 ash-coloured Toyota Corolla allegedly entrusted to a man identified as Sale Usman, also known as Dambu, by its owner, Aminu Yahaya, of Darmanawa Quarters, to sell and remit the proceeds.
However, Usman allegedly diverted the vehicle without the owner’s consent.
The police said the car was later recovered in Katsina State from a man identified as Sulaiman, who reportedly claimed to have purchased it for N7.5m.
In a separate operation, police arrested two suspects, Abubakar Umar, 23, of Nasarawa GRA, and Mustapha Zubairu Abdullahi, 25, of Layin Makabarta, Tarauni, over the alleged theft of a white Toyota Hiace minibus.
The vehicle, with registration number NSR 261 XB, was reportedly stolen from Singer Market on October 5. Its owner, Isah Abdullahi, of Bachirawa Quarters in Ungogo Local Government Area, subsequently reported the incident to the police.
Kiyawa said technical support enabled operatives to trace the minibus to a remote area of Mariri Magadawa in Kumbotso Local Government Area, where it was recovered and the two suspects arrested.
The third operation led to the arrest of a 40-year-old man, Abdullahi Adamu, from Potiskum, Yobe State, over the alleged theft of a Mitsubishi Canter truck.
According to the police, a surveillance team attached to the Ungogo Police Division intercepted Adamu on October 8 while he was allegedly taking the truck, with registration number BLF 365 XA, to a garage at Kadawa Quarters for repainting.
“During the course of the investigation, the suspect confessed that he stole the said Canter truck from one Dan Baba Garage in Potiskum, Yobe State,” the statement said.
The command added that it had contacted the Yobe State Police Command to facilitate further investigation and establish the rightful ownership of the truck.
The police said all four suspects would be charged in court upon the conclusion of investigations, while efforts were ongoing to apprehend other suspected accomplices.
The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Bakori, commended the officers involved for their prompt response and effective use of technical intelligence in recovering the vehicles.
He urged vehicle owners to exercise caution when parking their vehicles, entrust their properties only to trusted individuals and install additional security devices to prevent theft.
The command also appealed to residents to provide credible information about suspicious activities, particularly attempts to sell vehicles at unusually low prices.
