The Yobe State Police Command has dismantled a criminal syndicate specializing in stealing tricycles and other valuable metal objects, cutting them into pieces, and selling the parts as scrap.
The command's spokesperson, DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, May 1, 2026. According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), the breakthrough followed a complaint received on April 21, 2026, at about 3:20 p.m. from one Goni Kemi of Kukareta Village, Damaturu. Kemi reported that his yellow tricycle with registration number 5330 DTR had been stolen along Maiduguri Road.
Acting on credible intelligence, operatives from B Division Police Headquarters in Damaturu carried out a targeted operation on April 30, 2026, at about 4:00 p.m., leading to the recovery of the stolen tricycle. However, the vehicle had already been dismantled into parts by a suspected scrap dealer.
“The suspect, one Ali Mallam Ibrahim of Don-Etiebiet Housing Estate, Damaturu, was arrested and confessed to having purchased the tricycle from one Ibrahim Umar of Pompomari Ward, Damaturu, who was also apprehended in connection with the crime,” the statement read.
“Meanwhile, one Alhaji Ali of Dapchi is currently at large. Efforts are ongoing to track and arrest the fleeing suspect. The case is under investigation and will be charged to court upon completion.”
The Commissioner of Police, CP Usman Kanfani Jibrin, commended the operatives for their professionalism and swift response. He charged officers to sustain the momentum in the fight against crime and reiterated the command’s commitment to making Yobe State unsafe for criminal elements.
The CP further urged members of the public to continue cooperating with the police by providing timely and useful information. “If you see something, say something, and follow up where possible,” he advised.
