Niger State police officer suspected suicide amid arms supply probe
A Deputy Superintendent of Police serving with the Mobile Police Force in Niger State has died in what authorities describe as a suspected suicide while under investigation for allegedly supplying weapons to bandits. The officer, identified as Isah Abdullahi, also known as Kunkuri, was attached to MOPOL 12 in Minna and was being probed over missing arms and ammunition linked to criminal elements in the state. The investigation into the unaccounted weapons was part of a routine audit of the armoury at the Niger State Police Command’s armoury when the suspected suicide occurred. Preliminary reports indicate that several AK-47 rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition could not be traced during the audit. Investigators had been auditing the armoury as part of wider inquiries into the alleged diversion of weapons when Abdullahi reportedly accessed a service pistol and took his own life inside the facility. Authorities have said the design of the armoury’s electronic control system limited access to the senior officer, making it difficult for colleagues to intervene before the shooting. The tragic development came after detectives from Abuja arrived in Minna to examine discrepancies in the inventory of arms and ammunition. During the wider investigation, another police officer, Inspector John Moses, was arrested and reportedly confessed that the late DSP had supplied him with weapons and ammunition. The inspector allegedly revealed that the arms were passed on to bandits and criminal elements in parts of Niger State. Following these revelations, security operatives from the Office of the National Security Adviser took over parts of the investigation and transferred suspects for further questioning. The Niger State Commissioner of Police confirmed that the officer was arrested earlier in the week over the suspected illegal dealings, and an autopsy was planned to determine the exact cause of death. Officers who accompanied Abdullahi during the audit have been detained for alleged negligence and are facing internal disciplinary proceedings. The investigation into the missing weapons and the alleged supply network remains ongoing as authorities continue to probe potential links to banditry in the region.
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