The Niger State Police Command has successfully arrested three suspects who were impersonating operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for abducting and extorting students in Lapai area of the state.
The suspects, identified as Emmanuel Linus (30) from Deidei, Abuja, Hyelda Aliyu (28) from Nyanya, Abuja, and Abduljallid Tanko (33) from Karo, Abuja, were apprehended on May 13, 2025, following a police operation that tracked their Toyota Corolla vehicle with registration number ABJ 245 CU to Suleja Road, near Kwakuti.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, the suspects were found with counterfeit EFCC identification cards that were produced at a shop in Nyanya, Abuja. Notably, all the fake ID cards bore the same identification number: 1069.
"The suspects entered a student's room armed with electric tasers which they presented as guns, confiscated five mobile phones, and abducted two persons," SP Abiodun explained. "They initially demanded a ransom of N10 million from the student's family, but later reduced their demand to N500,000 before they were arrested by our operatives."
During interrogation, the suspects confessed that they were invited by their informants, Mohammed Hassan and Hamisu Adamu, both residents of Angwan-Hausa via Lapai, who provided them with intelligence about the targeted students. These two informants have also been arrested by the police.
Investigations revealed that Emmanuel Linus, one of the primary suspects, is a dismissed soldier with a criminal record and had previously served time in prison within the past two years. He reportedly received information about the students from the informants, having known them from Paiko.
All five suspects, including the three fake EFCC operatives and the two informants, are currently undergoing further investigation at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID). The police spokesperson confirmed that they will be charged to court for prosecution immediately after the investigation is concluded.
This arrest highlights the growing concern about criminal elements impersonating law enforcement agencies to perpetrate crimes against vulnerable citizens, particularly students. The Niger State Police Command urges the public to remain vigilant and verify the identity of anyone claiming to be from security agencies before complying with their directives.
