Police recover three rifles after accident, mob kills suspect in Niger
By: Zagazola Makama
The Nigeria Police Force in Niger State have recovered three AK-47 rifles and six magazines following a motorcycle accident involving two suspected arms couriers along the Boyi Sarki–Toll Gate axis.
Sources said the incident occurred at about 9:50 p.m. on Feb. 17 while officers stationed at Gawu Babangida for stop-and-search duty received a distress call that two unidentified men riding a motorcycle from the Tafa axis of Kaduna State towards Abuja had been involved in a lone crash near the toll gate.
The officers, along with nearby civilians, rushed to the scene where a sack belonging to the victims was searched and found to contain three rifles and six magazines.
One of the suspects reportedly died on the spot due to injuries sustained in the accident. However, after the discovery of the weapons, some civilians at the scene attacked the second injured suspect, who also died before he could be taken to hospital.
The recovered weapons comprised rifles with breach numbers 23130, 1963xx7075 and 0514 33504. Three magazines were fully loaded with 30 rounds each of live ammunition, one magazine contained 14 rounds, while two were empty.
The remains of the two deceased suspects were later evacuated to Umar Musa Yar’Adua General Hospital, Sabon Wuse, while investigations into the incident are ongoing.
