The Kano State Police Command has arrested four suspects and recovered three stolen vehicles during separate operations carried out between October 8 and 9.
The Punch reported that the command disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by its Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Kiyawa, noting that the operations were conducted by the Anti-Kidnapping Squad and Ungogo Police Division following intelligence reports.
According to the police, one of the recovered vehicles was a 2010 ash-coloured Toyota Corolla allegedly given to a man identified as Sale Usman, also known as Dambu, to sell and remit the proceeds to its owner, Aminu Yahaya, of Darmanawa Quarters.
The police alleged that Usman diverted the vehicle without the owner’s consent. The car was subsequently recovered in Katsina State from a man identified as Sulaiman, who reportedly said he bought it for N7.5m.
In a separate operation, operatives arrested Abubakar Umar, 23, of Nasarawa GRA, and Mustapha Zubairu Abdullahi, 25, of Layin Makabarta, Tarauni, over the alleged theft of a white Toyota Hiace minibus.
The police said the vehicle, with registration number NSR 261 XB, was reported stolen from Singer Market on October 5 by its owner, Isah Abdullahi, of Bachirawa Quarters, Ungogo Local Government Area.
Kiyawa said technical support enabled the police to trace the minibus to a remote location in Mariri Magadawa, Kumbotso Local Government Area, where it was recovered and the two suspects arrested.
The third operation resulted in the arrest of a 40-year-old man, Abdullahi Adamu, from Potiskum, Yobe State, in connection with the alleged theft of a Mitsubishi Canter truck.
According to the command, a surveillance team attached to the Ungogo Police Division intercepted Adamu on October 8 while he was taking the truck, with registration number BLF 365 XA, to a garage at Kadawa Quarters for repainting.
“During the course of the investigation, the suspect confessed that he stole the said Canter truck from one Dan Baba Garage in Potiskum, Yobe State,” the statement said.
The police said they had contacted the Yobe State Police Command to facilitate further action and establish the truck’s rightful ownership.
The command added that the four suspects would be charged in court after investigations, while efforts were ongoing to apprehend other suspected accomplices.
The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Bakori, praised the officers involved for their prompt response and effective use of technical intelligence in recovering the vehicles.
He advised vehicle owners to exercise caution when parking, entrust their properties only to trusted individuals and install additional security devices to prevent theft.
The command also urged residents to provide credible information about suspicious activities, particularly attempts to sell vehicles at unusually low prices.
