The Nigeria Police Force has arrested a group involved in supplying stolen motorcycles to Boko Haram insurgents and other criminal groups operating in the northern region of the country.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) for Zone 7, Benneth Igweh, revealed this development on Tuesday while addressing journalists in Abuja. He noted that the arrests followed credible intelligence, which led police operatives to Suleja, a local government area in Niger State.
Three suspects were taken into custody: Shamsuddeen Yunusa, 30; Zaharadeen Saidu, 25; and Mustapha Haruna, 22. During the operation, authorities recovered 22 stolen motorcycles, multiple master keys, and several mobile phones.
AIG Igweh explained that the syndicate was deeply involved in modifying and selling stolen motorcycles, which were then supplied to criminals, including Boko Haram members and bandits in Niger and Kaduna states.
“The leader of the gang, Shamsuddeen, revealed that he sells the motorcycles at the rate of N200,000 to N250,000,” Igweh stated.
He also noted that Shamsuddeen had recently received N250,000 from one Ibrahim Kabiru, who lives in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, as part payment for a supply of Bajaj motorcycles.
Further investigations showed that Zaharadeen acted as a courier, transporting the motorcycles to buyers. He admitted to collecting the stolen bikes from Shamsuddeen and delivering them to Mustapha in Suleja.
Mustapha Haruna, the third suspect, was identified as the syndicate’s motorcycle mechanic. His role was to repair and prepare the stolen motorcycles before they were sent to customers.
