Abuja Boutique Owners Caught Hiding Guns In Shops

Nine suspects including two boutique owners in Jabi, Abuja have been arrested by the police in Niger State over alleged armed robbery, culpable homicide and motorcycle theft.

Police said they usually hid guns and dangerous weapons in their shops for robbery operations.

Spokesman of the Niger State police command SP Wasiu Abiodun said yesterday that a distress call was received from Rafin-Chinaka area of Maje in the state and a patrol team attached to Maje Division in Suleija local government area moved to the scene and discovered that a victim was robbed of a Jincheng motorcycle.

He said, “Having robbed the victim, the suspects were sighted trying to escape through Zuba axis, but they were pursued by the police team and one of them named Bitrus James was arrested with the motorcycle.

“In the course of investigation, the suspect mentioned one Aminu and two others as members of a syndicate which specialised in robbing victims of motorcycles and other valuables within Suleja, Kwamba and environs. Based on the suspect’s confession, eight other suspects were arrested in connection with the crime.”

The spokesman said those arrested include Aminu Ibrahim of Jabi, Abuja, Gali Ibrahim Abubakar , Ibrahim Idris both from Kaduna road Suleja as well as Samaila Nasiru from  Jabi, Abuja, Mohammed Sani of Kad road  , Dorcas Thomas, Rejoice Samaila  both of Durumi and Musa Lawal of Sabon-Wuse .

Samaila Nasiru managed a boutique for Aminu in Jabi where the guns and other dangerous weapons were kept. Rejoice was found harbouring Bitrus James in her house in Durumi, while Dorcas provided her personal details for Bitrus to open an account for proceeds of crime with records of movement of large amounts of money, he added.

He said preliminary investigation revealed that Bitrus James, Aminu Ibrahim, Gali Abubakar, Ibrahim Idris and two others at large were members of armed robbery syndicate terrorising Suleja and environs.

According to him, Bitrus and Aminu confessed to be among hoodlums who attacked one Alh. Monsa on May 31, 2026 at about 3am behind Niger Motel, stabbed him to death with a jackknife and took away his motorcycle and a bag.

The police spokesman said Musa Lawal was arrested as a major receiver of stolen motorcycles who confessed to have also received numerous stolen motorcycles from Bitrus, Aminu and Ibrahim Idris, adding that any motorcycle given to him, he usually sent it to Sani Mohamed who acted as a transporter to deliver motorcycles to buyers in Katsina, Kaduna and other locations.