Police Arrest Three Fake EFCC Operatives For Abducting, Robbing And Extorting Students In Niger State
The Niger State Police Command has apprehended three individuals posing as operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly abducting two students from a lodge in Lapai town.
Spokesperson of the command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, May 15, 2025, said two informants were also arrested for giving information to the suspects about the students.
According to the PPRO, one of the suspects, Emmanuel Linus, was a dismissed soldier with criminal records and ex-convict.
The suspects, posing as EFCC operatives and armed with what appeared to be electric tasers disguised as firearms, stormed a student residence and forcibly abducted two individuals into a Toyota Corolla after stealing five mobile phones.
The suspects initially demanded a ransom of N10 million from the victims’ families and later reduced it to N500,000 before their arrest.
Prompt response by operatives from Lapai Division led to the pursuit of the suspects’ vehicle.
The chase ended near Suleja Road by Kwakuti, where three suspects were arrested while a fourth one managed to escape.
“On 13th May, 2025 at about 8pm, information received indicated that about four suspected fake EFCC operatives were sighted at students lodge, off campus via Lapai, abducted two students into a Toyota Corolla vehicle with Reg. No. ABJ 245 CU,” the statement read.
“Police operatives attached to Lapai Div mobilised and trailed the vehicle to Suleja road, by Kwakuti and the following suspects were arrested; Emmanuel Linus 30yrs of Deidei, Abuja, Hyelda Aliyu 28yrs of Nyanya, Abuja and Abduljallid Tanko 33yrs Karo, Abuja.
“The suspects were arrested with the said vehicle, unfortunately one Alfa James among the suspects escaped from the scene.
“During interrogation, they confessed that they were invited by their informants, as this is their means of livelihood. They entered one of the students room with three electric tasers held as guns, collected five phones and abducted two persons.
“It was revealed that they requested ten million naira and later negotiated to five hundred thousand naira before they were arrested. They confessed further that the I.D cards used were designed at a shop in Nyanya, Abuja bearing same identification number 1069.
“The two informant collaborators were also arrested who are; Mohammed Hassan and Hamisu Adamu both of Angwan-Hausa via Lapai.
“The informants gave Emmanuel Linus information about the students, having known each other in Paiko. Emmanuel was identified as a dismissed soldier with criminal records and ex-convict in the past two years.
“All the five suspects are under further investigation in SCID, and they will be charged to court for prosecution immediately after the investigation.”
