The Nigeria Police Force has arrested a suspected armed robber, Abdullahi Abubakar, over alleged one-chance operations in Kaduna State, with investigations revealing that a gang leader, Boniface, allegedly coordinated criminal activities from the Kaduna Correctional Centre.
The Commander of the Police Intelligence Response Team, Adams Muazu, disclosed this on Friday while parading the suspects, saying Abubakar was arrested on October 12, 2026, at about 8:30 pm, following credible human and technical intelligence.
He said the suspect, who had previously served a 13-year jail term for a similar offence, allegedly specialised in strangling victims before dispossessing them of their valuables.
According to Muazu, Abubakar, during interrogation, identified Boniface, who was already in the Kaduna Correctional Centre, as the person who directed him to the gang’s hideout where their operational firearms were kept.
He said the police subsequently obtained a reproduction warrant and recovered two pistols from the location.
Muazu expressed concern that Boniface allegedly continued to coordinate the gang’s operations despite being in custody.
“One of the astonishing aspects of this case is the involvement of Boniface. Boniface is in prison and has been communicating with this syndicate and telling them what to do.
“Through the procurement of a reproduction warrant, we were able to trace where those pistols they had been using were located and recovered,” he said.
The commander added that investigations revealed that the gang had allegedly stolen several vehicles in Kaduna and neighbouring areas before selling them through receivers in Kano, Kaduna and the Niger Republic.
He said Boniface was subsequently taken into police custody alongside the other suspects, adding that investigations were ongoing to establish the full extent of the alleged criminal network.
In a related development, the police arrested three suspected armed robbers and kidnappers in Jos, Plateau State, and recovered three locally fabricated pistols and other exhibits.
The suspects, identified as Benjamin Okafor, Moses Akintuyi and Emmanuel Megarfi, were arrested by IRT operatives on special duty in the state on November 2, 2026, at about 3:30 pm.
Muazu said the suspects allegedly attacked a victim at gunpoint, dispossessed him of N200,000 and stole his unregistered 2015 Toyota Corolla.
They also allegedly carted away a laptop, three mobile phones and three ATM cards before withdrawing N800,000 from the victim’s bank account.
The commander said the recovered exhibits included three locally fabricated pistols, one cartridge and the stolen Toyota Corolla.
He disclosed that one of the suspects was a neighbour of the victim and had allegedly joined other residents to sympathise with him shortly after the robbery.
“One of the suspects happened to be a neighbour of the victim. After the incident, he was among the first to appear to sympathise with the victim. Unfortunately, through intelligence-led policing, he was caught,” Muazu said.
The suspect reportedly told investigators that he ventured into crime after losing money invested in mining activities following the destruction of property in his vehicle.
The police commander said investigations into both cases were ongoing.
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