By Nkechi Eze
The Nasarawa State Police Command has recorded a significant breakthrough in its ongoing crackdown on violent crime with the arrest of six suspects linked to armed robbery and kidnapping in Doma Local Government Area, as well as the capture of an armed herder in Keana.
The Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Ramhan Nansel, disclosed in an official statement that the arrests were the result of intelligence-driven operations carried out by officers acting on credible information from a patriotic citizen. According to him, operatives of Doma Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, raided a notorious criminal hideout at Yelwa Ediya village, leading to the arrest of Darda’u Shehu, Yunusa Malami Hashimu, Musa Abubakar, Ibrahim Musa, and Mohammed Musa, all residents of the community.
During interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed to the abduction of a serving councillor on 26 May 2025, during which they stole two mobile phones, an Infinix Note 30 valued at ₦250,000 and a Tecno handset worth ₦20,000. They also admitted to mounting a roadblock along the Doma Yelwa road on 19 July 2025 at about 9:00 a.m., where they attacked one Ibrahim Haruna and stole his Bajaj motorcycle valued at ₦970,000. The stolen motorcycle was allegedly sold through Ibrahim Musa, who facilitated contact with the buyer.
Police operatives recovered ₦100,000 proceeds from the sale of the stolen motorcycle which had been buried in the bush, as well as one Bajaj motorcycle believed to be linked to the suspects’ criminal activities.
In a related development, SP Nansel revealed that at about 12:30 a.m. on 10 August 2025, operatives of Keana Division responded to a distress call reporting herders grazing on farmlands at Gidan Zaki Hassan in Kuduku, Keana LGA. When confronted by locals, the herders reportedly opened fire before fleeing the scene. Working in collaboration with community members, the police arrested 20-year-old herder Suleman Mohammadu and recovered an AK-47 magazine loaded with six live rounds of ammunition.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Shettima Jauro Mohammed, has directed that all arrested suspects be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for discreet investigation and subsequent prosecution. He reaffirmed the Command’s determination to make Nasarawa State safe for all residents and warned that there would be no hiding place for criminals.
“I urge residents to remain law-abiding and continue to provide timely and credible information to assist police operations,” CP Mohammed said, stressing that the Command’s resolve to rid the state of criminal elements remains unshaken.
