Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Operatives of the Bauchi State Police Command have arrested a 58‑year‑old Nigerien national and recovered 18 stolen rams valued at approximately ₦7 million following an intelligence‑led operation along Gubi Road in the Bauchi metropolis. The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib, identified the arrested suspect as Sayyadi Abubakar, a resident of Tahoua Town in the Maradi Region of the Niger Republic. In a statement issued on Thursday, May 21, 2026, Habib disclosed that the arrest was made in the early hours of Tuesday, May 19, 2026, after the Police Monitoring Team attached to the Area Command, Bauchi Metropolis, intercepted two vehicles acting on credible intelligence. The vehicles intercepted were a white Hummer bus bearing registration number Delta WW‑882 ZR and a dark ash Toyota Camry with registration number Bauchi NNG‑293‑AA along Gubi Road, Bauchi. Further investigations revealed that the 18 rams were allegedly stolen from a location opposite A.A. Kunya Filling Station along Murtala Mohammed Way in Bauchi.
During preliminary interrogation, Abubakar reportedly confessed to conspiring with an accomplice identified simply as “Alhaji Ibrahim” and four other individuals who remain at large. According to the police spokesperson, the syndicate specialised in changing vehicle number plates to those of the states they visited, a tactic used to evade detection while transporting stolen livestock across state lines. The suspects allegedly operated from a shared address, though the police have not disclosed the specific location. SP Habib further stated that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing accomplices, and the investigation is at an advanced stage. “The suspects will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation,” the statement added.
The Commissioner of Police in Bauchi State, CP Sani‑Omolori Aliyu, has commended the operatives for their swift response and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling criminal activities across the state. He also appealed to residents to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to aid crime‑fighting operations. This arrest follows a pattern of increasing livestock theft across Nigeria’s northern states, where a single ram can cost between ₦300,000 and ₦500,000 depending on breed and market conditions, making the recovery of 18 animals a significant blow to cross‑border criminal networks.
Meanwhile, the suspect, Sayyadi Abubakar, remains in police custody as investigators work to unravel the full extent of the syndicate’s operations. The Bauchi State Police Command has not released an expected court date, but legal proceedings are anticipated once the investigation is concluded.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments