Niger State Police Command has intercepted and recovered a total of fifteen pump action rifles and thirty cartridges from suspected gun runners concealed in a vehicle along Maikunkele-Tegina road in Minna, the state capital.
The state Commissioner of Police, Shawulu Ebenezer Danmamman, who made this disclosure in Minna, said the vehicle was intercepted by officers of the command on routine patrol.
He explained, ” On 4/8/2024 at about 1900hrs based on intelligence received, a Police patrol team of Anti-Kidnapping Unit attached to SCID Minna, while on routine patrol along Maikunkele-Tegina road, Minna intercepted a Toyota Corolla vehicle, red in colour with Reg. No. DKA 877 HJ”
Danmamman said the vehicle was intercepted with three occupants including the driver, who disappeared from the scene in the course of interrogation in the guise of easing themselves.
According to him, ” The vehicle was intercepted with three occupants including the driver, and in the course of interrogation, surprisingly on the guise to ease themselves, the occupants took to their heels and upon the search of the vehicle, fifteen (15) automatic pump action rifles were found with thirty (30) cartridges concealed in a sack in the vehicle.
However, the CP further disclosed that a concerted effort is ongoing through an investigative process to track the owner of the said vehicle.
“Efforts are also on to arrest the fleeing culprits towards unravelling the source and purpose of the pump action rifles, and prosecution,” he stated.
The case is under investigation in SCID Minna.