Police Bust N4.8bn Theft Syndicate at Kainji Power Plant, Foil Fake N7m Kidnap Plot, Arrest Suspects
The Niger State Police Command has smashed two major criminal operations, arresting 14 suspects in connection with a ₦4.8 billion theft at the Kainji Power Plant and a staged kidnapping scheme aimed at extorting ₦7 million.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, noting that the arrests followed weeks of intensive investigations.
₦4.8bn Power Plant Theft
The first case began on August 11, 2025, when Mainstream Energy Solutions Ltd, operators of the Kainji Power Plant, reported massive vandalism at its navigation lock yard. An inspection revealed that heavy metals and beams worth billions of naira had been cut up and carted away by unidentified persons.
Two supervisors at the facility, Shaibu Abu Sufyan (35) and Ibrahim Musa (31), were arrested and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Minna. While denying involvement at first, Abu Sufyan later confessed, implicating 10 security staff under his command.
The accomplices were identified as Zayyanu Musa, Jibrin Abdullahi, Hassan Musa, Micah Adamu, Attahiru Umar, Abdulrahman Usman, Ismaila Ibrahim, Mubarak Husseini, Adamu Abubakar, and Abdullahi Abubakar (aka Zuma).
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Investigations revealed the group had been working with scrap dealers — Musa Khalid, Abah Khalid, and Abdullahi — from Mashegu LGA. The dealers reportedly deployed heavy-duty equipment and acetylene gas to dismantle and transport the stolen metals at night, mostly on weekends.
“These criminal activities have been ongoing since 2023,” the police said, adding that ₦12.5 million and ₦11.5 million were traced to Abu Sufyan and Musa respectively from transactions with the dealers. The stolen materials were sold to companies in Lagos, Kwara, and Osun States.
The command confirmed that efforts are ongoing to track down the scrap dealers and other collaborators.
Fake ₦7m Kidnap
In another case, the police uncovered a staged kidnapping involving two young men who conspired to swindle their friends.
The case was reported on September 2, 2025, at the Tudun-Wada Division, following claims that Ahmed Alh. Bura (21) of Bauchi State had been abducted. Investigations, aided by technical intelligence, later revealed that Bura had colluded with his friend Shafiu Ibrahim (22) of Makujeri to fake his disappearance after attending a car drifting event in Minna.
The duo allegedly demanded ₦7 million from their colleagues under the guise of a ransom. Police also arrested seven others linked to the case and recovered 21 SIM cards used for fraudulent activities under a phony network marketing outfit called Quest Int’l Company.
All suspects are currently in SCID custody in Minna and will be charged in court.
By PRNigeria
