THE Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the arrest and detention of Police Crime Inspector Aminu Muhammed in Kogi State for allegedly robbing nearby residents of his duty station at the ‘C’ Division in Lokoja, the state capital.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Kogi State Police Command, William Ayah, who verified the incident yesterday, the officer has been apprehended and is currently held in detention.
Additionally, the Commissioner of Police for Kogi State, Bertrand Onuoha, has instructed a thorough investigation to precede any further action regarding the reported misconduct.
The police inspector’s misdeeds came to light following his involvement in a robbery incident, with subsequent investigations revealing his connection to several similar cases in the past.
Fate caught up with him this time following his association with a notorious gang of armed robbers known for targeting homes for valuables and vehicles.
An informant named Aduku Sheidu Akpan, residing in a remote village some distance from Ochadamu, revealed that the stolen car was discovered in the workshop of the policeman’s auto body repair specialist, Arome Moses.
The mechanic had begun work to alter the car’s color at Ochadamu in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Upon recognizing the vehicle linked to a burglary on June 14, 2024, concerned individuals alerted the authorities.
The car’s plate number had been changed to one from Abuja, and the officer provided a backdated car dealer’s receipt from 2020 as proof of purchase.
The officer’s auto mechanic had begun preparing the car for a color change when investigations led the Quick Response Unit (QRU) officers from the Police Area Command, Idah, to apprehend him.
Subsequent investigations at the ‘A’ Division in Lokoja revealed that the culprits involved in the robbery had already been arrested for a separate offense.
One of the gang members, also wanted by the police for various crimes, confessed to the robbery and implicated the police officer as the mastermind behind the operation.
Sources from the officer’s village, Akpakidigbo, expressed concerns over his frequent acquisition of unspecified cars at his grand estate, raising suspicions about his income sources and alleged illicit activities.
The community awaits the outcome of the investigation, with emphasis on the state government’s commitment, under Governor Usman Ododo, to ensuring robust security measures within the state.