The Kano State Police Command has arrested three suspects and recovered stolen vehicles in a crackdown on car theft in the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday.
He said the arrests were made on May 16 when operatives of the Command’s Special Intervention Squad acted on credible intelligence and apprehended three suspects linked to a stolen Toyota Camry.
The suspects were identified as Abel Nanlir Nafa from Abuja, Stephen Wanneh from Kaduna State, and Habiba Mohammad from Kano State.
According to the statement, one of the suspects admitted that the vehicle, a black Toyota Camry 2015 model without a registration number, was stolen from Enugu State and handed to him for sale.
“The suspect confessed that the vehicle was stolen and he was aware of its status when he received it for sale,” the police said.
The police added that the second suspect also knew the car was stolen and was invited to assist in selling it, while the third suspect said she contacted a buyer from the Niger Republic who agreed to purchase the vehicle for N1.5 million.
The stolen Toyota Camry has since been recovered, while efforts are ongoing to arrest other suspects still at large and identify the rightful owner.
In a related development, the command also recovered two additional suspected stolen vehicles during a follow-up operation at the residence of a fleeing suspect identified as Haruna Ibrahim in Kano.
The recovered vehicles include a red Hyundai Sonata 2016 model without a registration number and an ash-coloured Hyundai Elantra 2014 model with registration number KMC 523 TF.
“The Command urges anyone who recognises any of the recovered vehicles to come forward with proof of ownership,” the statement said.
The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, commended the operatives for their efforts, noting that the operation reflects the success of intelligence-led policing.
He also called on residents to remain vigilant and continue to support the police with timely information, assuring that all reports would be treated confidentially.
