No fewer than four suspects who allegedly specialised in stealing over 500 domestic goats in parts of Minna, the Niger State capital are now in Police cells.

The suspects, TRIBUNE ONLINE gathered, are also assisting the Police with information about their conspiracy and stealing in the underworld.

The suspects were said to have been in the business of stealing goats from their owners for over the past five years.

They were however said to have run out of luck on Monday in the Kpakungu-Soje communities of Chanchaga Local government area of the State, outskirts of Minna, which led to their arrest.

The 4-man syndicate was nabbed by the Police Operatives from the state Police Command at about 10:00 pm last week after intelligence from credible sources blower the lids off their Illegal activities.

The State Police Command, Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Wasiu Abiodun, who confirmed the arrest to Journalists in Minna on Wednesday said the suspects were intercepted in a vehicle, a Honda Civic marked MNA 342 AA, usually used for whisking the domestic animals away from crime scenes around the Shiroro Hotel area of the city.

He explained further that during interrogation, the suspects allegedly confessed to the crime of stealing goats from their owners adding that they were usually sold between N10,000 to N15,000 each depending on the sizes, to butchers in Maitumbi and Tunga areas of Minna.

The suspects were identified as Shehu Buhari 25yrs, Musa Idris 40yrs both of Barkin-Sale, Minna and Idrisu Aliyu (Dagrin) 22yrs of Kaffin Tela, Minna, while the fourth member of the gang was said to have escaped arrest by the Police and was currently at large.

They were also cited to have said that they have been committing the crime in Minna as their main source of survival for the past five years and have so far stolen over 500 goats at different locations in Minna.

According to Wasiu Abiodun, ” Idris Dagrin’s vehicle, Honda Civic, was always being used to convey the animals”.

He said, following their confessional statements, the Image Maker of the State Police Command disclosed that two alleged stolen goats receivers, including one Murtala Dan-Azumi of Tunga were arrested, while efforts were ongoing to apprehend Hussaini Yahaya, Labaran Hussaini.

Abiodun however assured that the cases were under investigation at the SCID, Minna adding that all the suspects would soon be arraigned in court and charged for prosecution immediately after the investigation was concluded by the Police. (Nigerian Tribune)

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