The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested five suspects in separate operations linked to alleged burglary and possession of suspected cannabis, recovering stolen household items and other valuables.
The arrests were made by operatives of the command’s Violent Crime Response Unit during routine patrols within the Bauchi metropolis.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Abubakar, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, said the first operation was carried out on Monday at about 2:00 p.m. in Doya Quarters.
According to him, officers intercepted a commercial tricycle carrying three occupants after acting on suspicion.
“Our patrol team intercepted a tricycle conveying three occupants. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of four boxes containing assorted new shoes, clothes and jewellery, a 6kg gas cylinder, a 32-inch LG flat-screen television and a tabletop gas cooker,” Habib said.
The police identified the suspects as 27-year-old Sadiq Abdullahi, 18-year-old Muhammad Suleman, both residents of Unguwar Sarakuna, and 21-year-old tricycle rider Aliyu Abubakar of Kofar Gombe.
Habib said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspects allegedly conspired with another suspect identified only as Nanu, who is currently on the run, to burgle a residence in Unguwar Sarakuna.
“During interrogation, the suspects confessed to conspiring with one Nanu, who is now at large, to break into a dwelling house and cart away the recovered items,” he stated.
The police spokesman added that investigators later traced the owners of the burgled property, who identified the recovered items as theirs.
According to him, the homeowner’s wife told investigators she had travelled to Jos on July 31 and returned to discover that her home had been broken into.
“She confirmed ownership of the recovered property but reported that some clothes and a gold earring were still missing,” Habib added.
In a separate operation later the same day, police arrested two men for allegedly possessing suspected cannabis at Bayan Gari.
“At about 4:00 p.m., our patrol team intercepted Mansur Sani, 25, and Umar Muhammad, 30, while they were exchanging two parcels of dry leaves suspected to be Indian hemp,” the police spokesman said.
He noted that investigations into both cases were ongoing, adding that efforts were being intensified to apprehend the fleeing burglary suspect and identify the source of the suspected cannabis.
“The suspects will be charged in court upon the conclusion of investigations,” Habib said.
