Police Inspector Sentenced To Two Years In Prison For Stealing, Selling AK-47 To Bandits

The Minna Chief Magistrate Court has handed down a two-year prison sentence to dismissed Inspector Yahaya Mohammed from the Niger State Police Command.

He was found guilty of theft and the sale of an AK-47 magazine and ammunition to suspected armed bandits within the state.

Mohammed, who previously held the position of second in command at the armoury of the Niger State Police Command headquarters, was dismissed from his role.

The Court revealed that he had collaborated with Ndaman Gana, another officer in charge of the state police command’s armoury department, to carry out this illicit transaction.

Mohammed faced charges on two counts: Criminal Conspiracy and theft of an AK-47 magazine, as well as unlawful dealing in the sale of the AK-47 magazine and ammunition.

The police prosecutor, DSP Ahmed Saidu, presented the case, highlighting that the charges contravened sections 97(2), 288(1) of the penal code, and section 27(6)(111) act 28 law 2004.

The Police First Information Report (FIR), presented in Court and obtained by our reporter, disclosed that credible information from a reliable source within the Department of State Service (DSS) attached to Rafi Local Government Area, Kagara, Niger State, indicated that an unknown individual transported goods suspected to be weapon inside a ‘Ghana must go bag’ to Kagara motor park.

In response, police detectives took swift action, leading to the arrest of Inspector Yahaya Mohammed, a former police officer who was previously attached to the Department of Operation and served as the second in command in the state’s Amory in Minna.

“During police Investigation, you ex-police inspector conspired with Ndaman Gana, officer-in-charge of state armoury attached to the department of Operation OPs Minna, and both of you stole 22 magazines and 61 life ammunitions of different Calibre property of the Niger State Police Command.

“Both of you sold each magazine at the rate of N1000; each ammunition was sold at the rate of N650 to one corporal Sani Mohammed formerly attached to Mopol 12 Minna,” the First Information Report stated.

Upon the reading of the charges by the presiding Chief Magistrate Hajiya Fati Umar Hassan, Inspector Yahaya Mohammed pleaded guilty to the accusations.

The Prosecutor, DSP Ahmed Saidu, then told the chief Magistrate to invoke the provision of Section 190 of the administration of Criminal Justice Law of Niger State by convicting him summarily.

The Prosecutor also told the Court that the convict was diagnosed with cough hemoptysis and that the medical report is attached to the First Information Report.

“Your worship the disease in question is contagious, and I pray the Court will take cognizant of the medical report to see how the convict would not join other inmates in order not to infect them with the disease as it is a communicable disease. That is my humble prayer,” the Prosecutor told the Court.

In her judgment, Chief Magistrate Hajiya Fati Umar Hassan conveyed her disappointment with the conduct of the convict, particularly highlighting his role as a police officer entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding the lives and property of citizens.

“It is quite unfortunate that as a police officer saddled with the responsibilities of Protecting the lives and property of the citizens, you now engage in selling ammunition to armed bandits that are terrorising and killing innocent citizens across the country.

“I will be lenient with you while convicting you with an option of fine as a result of the contagious disease, especially with the medical report attached to the first Information report.

“If not because of the disease, I would have convicted you without an option of fine, but for other inmates not to be infected with the disease, you are hereby sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option of N100,000 fine.”

The Chief Magistrate, however, issued a directive for the convict to be transferred to the Chanchaga Leprosarium Colony to serve his jail term in the event that he is unable to pay the fine.