The Kano State Police Command has arrested three suspected vehicle thieves and recovered four tricycles and a maroon Pontiac vehicle in separate intelligence-led operations involving Kano and Katsina states.
The command said the arrests were recorded through intelligence gathering and inter-state collaboration as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal networks involved in vehicle and tricycle theft.
The Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, saying the operations were conducted by personnel from the Bompai Police Division, Bichi Police Division and the Anti-Kidnapping Squad.
According to the statement, the first operation followed a complaint lodged by Abubakar Ali of Danmarke, Hotoro Quarters, Kano, after his tricycle was allegedly stolen on August 4, 2026.
The complainant reportedly told the police that he was riding along Hadejia Road when he picked up a 23-year-old passenger, identified as Muhammad Sani, at Sufi Mart.
The suspect, according to the police, had bandages on his hand and leg and allegedly pretended to be injured before asking the tricycle operator to stop at a supermarket to purchase some items.
“While the complainant was away, the suspect used another key to ignite the tricycle and drove away,” the police said.
Following the report, officers at Bompai Police Division alerted neighbouring police formations and began efforts to track the suspect and recover the stolen tricycle.
The police said the operation paid off when a patrol team from Bichi Police Division intercepted and arrested Sani.
Investigators subsequently expanded the operation after questioning the suspect, leading them to Katsina State, where another suspected member of the alleged theft syndicate was arrested.
The suspect was identified as 33-year-old Aminu Saad.
Police operatives also recovered four tricycles suspected to have been stolen during similar operations.
According to the command, preliminary investigation showed that the recovered tricycles had been stolen using a method similar to the one allegedly employed in the Hadejia Road incident.
The police further said Saad confessed to being a member of the syndicate during interrogation, although the investigation remains ongoing to establish the full extent of the group’s activities and identify other members.
“The four recovered tricycles have since been handed over to their rightful owners, while investigation is ongoing to apprehend the remaining members of the syndicate,” Kiyawa said.
The police said the arrests and recoveries demonstrated the importance of rapid information sharing between police formations, particularly when criminal suspects attempt to move stolen property across state boundaries.
In a separate operation, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad arrested another suspected vehicle thief, identified as 23-year-old Isah Yusuf of Titin Jajira, Rijiyar Lemo, Kano.
Yusuf was arrested on July 25, 2026, after he was allegedly found in possession of a maroon Pontiac vehicle without a registration number.
The suspect reportedly told investigators that he purchased the vehicle from Niger Republic through one Ashiru Mohammed, also known as Mai Gold.
However, the police said further investigation contradicted the suspect’s account and established that the vehicle had originally been stolen from Taraba State.
According to the command, the vehicle was allegedly taken from Taraba to Niger Republic, where it was sold to a dealer before being brought back into Nigeria.
The development has prompted the police to appeal to the rightful owner of the Pontiac vehicle to come forward with valid proof of ownership to facilitate its identification and recovery.
The command directed anyone who believes the vehicle belongs to them to contact the Anti-Kidnapping Squad or the office of the Police Public Relations Officer at the Bompai Police Headquarters.
The police said the investigation into the vehicle theft case was continuing, with detectives working to establish the identities of other individuals who may have participated in the alleged movement and sale of the vehicle.
Commenting on the operations, the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, commended the officers involved for what he described as effective intelligence-led policing and cooperation across state boundaries.
“These breakthroughs demonstrate the importance of intelligence-led policing and effective collaboration among our formations, particularly across state boundaries,” Bakori said.
The commissioner assured residents that the command would sustain its operations against criminal elements and continue implementing the Inspector-General of Police’s Handshake Patrol strategy as part of measures to strengthen security across Kano and neighbouring areas.
“We will continue to work with the people of Kano State to identify and dismantle criminal networks operating within the state and its environs,” he said.
Bakori urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements, activities and individuals to the police or other relevant security agencies.
He also encouraged members of the public to exercise caution when purchasing used vehicles and tricycles, particularly those offered at unusually low prices or without proper ownership documents.
The command said cooperation from residents remains essential to identifying criminal networks, recovering stolen property and preventing further attacks on vehicle owners.
West Trybe reports that the recovery of five suspected stolen vehicles in separate operations highlights the growing importance of intelligence sharing and inter-state policing in tackling organised vehicle theft. The movement of stolen vehicles and tricycles across state and international borders presents a challenge to law enforcement, making cooperation between security formations and timely information from members of the public critical to disrupting theft syndicates.
