The Niger State Police Command on Thursday said it has arrested 83 suspects in about 37 raids in four weeks in the state.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Olusola Emmanuel Amore, while addressing journalists in Minna, disclosed that 40 of the suspects were screened out, while the remaining 43 have since been charged to court on First Information Report.
Amore said 38 of the 43 suspects charged to court have been convicted while the fate of the remaining five are yet to be decided as they are awaiting trial.
The accused persons include Danjuma Suleiman of Agwan Daji in Minna who stabbed his friend, Samaila Jibrin, to death over a minor argument.
Detectives of the command intensified efforts, which led to the arrest of Danjuma early this month, and still found in his possession another offensive weapon.
According to Amore: “During police interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime.
“He would soon be charged to court.”
Also, some young persons suspected to be cultists were alleged to have assembled themselves in Rafin Yashi in Maikunkele area of the state when the police from Maikunkele Division swooped on them and arrested 10 of them, including one Ogazi Christopher from Benue State, who confessed to be the leader of the group known as Neo-Black Movement, otherwise known as black axe.
Amore told journalists: “He equally claimed to be 200 level student of Federal University of Technology, Minna, while another suspect, Obisayo Mujeed, who claimed to be 500 level student of the same university, and Kingsley Eidaghese were arrested in connection with the case and confessed to be members of the cult group.
Speaking on the 147 cases reported to the Command within the period under review, Amore said 174 suspects were arrested, 116 cases charged to court, 38 cases awaiting trial, with 107 suspects convicted and 31 under investigation.
He further stated that 19 arms, 21 ammunition, three vehicles and 11 motorcycles were recovered within the said period under review.