Police nab suspect taking stolen truck for repainting in Kano

The Kano State Police Command has arrested a 40-year-old man, Abdullahi Adamu, while allegedly attempting to take a stolen truck for repainting, as security operatives recovered three stolen vehicles in separate operations across the state.

Adamu, a resident of Potiskum in Yobe State, was intercepted on October 8 by a surveillance team attached to the Ungogo Police Division while transporting a Mitsubishi Canter truck to a garage at Kadawa Quarters for repainting.

The truck, bearing registration number BLF 365 XA, was allegedly stolen from Dan Baba Garage in Potiskum, Yobe State.

According to the police, Adamu confessed during interrogation that he stole the vehicle from the garage.

The Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Kiyawa, disclosed the arrest in a statement issued on Sunday, October 11, saying the command had contacted the Yobe State Police Command to establish the rightful ownership of the truck and facilitate further action.

Kiyawa said the operation was one of several intelligence-led investigations conducted between October 8 and 9, which resulted in the arrest of four suspects and the recovery of three vehicles.

In another case, the police recovered a 2010 ash-coloured Toyota Corolla allegedly diverted by a man identified as Sale Usman, popularly known as Dambu.

The vehicle belonged to Aminu Yahaya of Darmanawa Quarters, who reportedly entrusted it to Usman to sell and remit the proceeds to him.

However, Usman allegedly diverted the vehicle without the owner’s consent.

Police operatives subsequently traced the car to Katsina State, where it was recovered from a man identified as Sulaiman, who claimed to have purchased it for N7.5 million.

The command also announced the arrest of two suspects, Abubakar Umar, 23, of Nasarawa GRA, and Mustapha Zubairu Abdullahi, 25, of Layin Makabarta, Tarauni, over the alleged theft of a Toyota Hiace minibus.

The white minibus, bearing registration number NSR 261 XB, was reported stolen from Singer Market on October 5 by its owner, Isah Abdullahi, of Bachirawa Quarters in Ungogo Local Government Area.

According to Kiyawa, technical intelligence helped operatives trace the vehicle to a remote area of Mariri Magadawa in Kumbotso Local Government Area, where it was recovered and the two suspects arrested.

The police spokesperson said the recoveries were made through coordinated operations involving the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Squad and Ungogo Police Division.

He added that all four suspects would be charged in court upon the conclusion of investigations, while efforts were ongoing to apprehend other suspected accomplices.

The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Bakori, commended the officers involved for their swift response and effective use of intelligence in recovering the stolen vehicles.

Bakori urged motorists to exercise caution when parking their vehicles and avoid entrusting their property to unreliable individuals.

He also advised vehicle owners to install additional security devices to reduce the risk of theft.

The command appealed to residents to report suspicious activities, particularly attempts to sell vehicles at unusually low prices, stressing that credible information from the public would support ongoing efforts to combat vehicle theft in the state.