Police arrest suspected terrorism financiers, bandits’ motorcycle suppliers

By: Kingsley Omonobi The Police Force Intelligence Response Team (IRT) has arrested suspected terrorism financiers, alleged motorcycle suppliers to bandits, armed robbery suspects and suspected kidnappers in separate intelligence-led operations across Kaduna and Plateau states. The operations also led to the recovery of five firearms, comprising two pistols and three locally fabricated pistols, as well as a motorcycle and a stolen Toyota Corolla.

The Force Intelligence Department disclosed this during a briefing on the operational achievements of the IRT in Abuja, saying the operations formed part of sustained efforts to dismantle criminal networks involved in kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery and terrorism-related activities. Speaking at the briefing, IRT Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police Adamu Muazu, said two suspects, identified as Nura Umar, 20, from Kidandan, and Alhaji Rabiu Aliyu, 58, from Zaria, Kaduna State, were arrested over alleged involvement in kidnapping and banditry-related activities.

According to him, the suspects were arrested on August 29, 2026, following intelligence linking them to the supply of motorcycles to bandits operating in Kaduna and Katsina states. The police said the suspects allegedly confessed to supplying several motorcycles to bandit groups in the two states. One Honda CV-125 motorcycle without a registration number was recovered during the operation.

The police described the arrests as significant to efforts to dismantle the financial and logistical networks sustaining kidnapping and banditry, adding that investigations were ongoing to identify other accomplices and trace the financial channels supporting the alleged activities. In another operation, the IRT arrested three suspected members of a criminal gang allegedly involved in one-chance operations, car snatching and armed robbery in Kaduna and its environs.

The suspects were identified as Abdullahi Abubakar, Yusuf Mohammed and Bala Ibrahim. Abubakar was arrested on October 12, 2026, at about 8:30pm, following intelligence linking him to a gang allegedly targeting residents, particularly commercial tricycle and motorcycle operators. The police alleged that members of the gang strangled their victims before dispossessing them of their valuables.

According to the police, Abubakar, who had previously served a 13-year jail term for a similar offence, identified a suspected gang leader, Boniface, said to be currently in Kaduna Prison. The police alleged that Boniface directed Abubakar to a hideout where the gang’s operational firearms were kept. Following the execution of a reproduction warrant, operatives recovered two pistols from the location.

Further investigations reportedly led to the arrest of Mohammed and Ibrahim, who were identified as alleged receivers of stolen vehicles, motorcycles and tricycles. The police accused Mohammed of receiving stolen vehicles and facilitating their movement to the Niger Republic through Sokoto State, with one Dahiru, who is currently at large, allegedly serving as a link in the operation.

Ibrahim was also accused of receiving stolen motorcycles and commercial tricycles. In a separate operation in Jos, Plateau State, the IRT arrested three suspects over alleged armed robbery and kidnapping activities. The suspects, identified as Benjamin Okafor, 38, Moses Akintuwi, 41, and Emmanuel Maikarfi, were arrested on November 2, 2026, at about 3:30pm.

Items recovered from them included three locally fabricated pistols, one cartridge and an unregistered 2015 Toyota Corolla. The police alleged that the suspects robbed a victim at gunpoint, dispossessing him of N200,000 cash, a laptop, three mobile phones and three ATM cards. They were also accused of using the victim’s ATM cards to withdraw an additional N800,000 from his bank accounts.

The Force Intelligence Department said investigations were ongoing to arrest other suspected members of the gang and establish their possible involvement in other criminal activities. It said the operational successes demonstrated the IRT’s commitment to tackling criminality through intelligence gathering, proactive policing and the dismantling of criminal networks.

The department stressed that efforts to combat violent crimes required not only the arrest of direct perpetrators but also the identification of individuals and networks providing financial and logistical support to criminal groups. It urged members of the public to provide credible and timely information to assist security agencies in identifying criminal activities and preventing security threats.

The police also cautioned against spreading unverified information capable of undermining ongoing investigations and security operations.