From John Adams, Minna
A serving police inspector attached to the Niger State Government House, Minna, has died by suicide while in detention over alleged involvement in the supply of arms and ammunition to bandits and other criminal groups in the state.
The officer, Inspector John Moses, an indigene of Shiroro Local Government Area, reportedly took his life on Sunday while being held in a detention facility following his arrest in connection with the alleged arms trafficking network.
The incident occurred barely one week after a similar tragedy involving the Officer in Charge of the Mopol 12 armoury at the B Division of the Niger State Police Command, Paikoro Road, Minna. The officer, DSP Isah Abdullahi, had also died by suicide after being arrested over alleged illegal arms dealings with bandits and other criminal elements.
DSP Abdullahi and four other police personnel, including Inspector Moses, were initially arrested as part of the same investigation. However, Inspector Moses was detained separately from the others.
Sources said tragedy struck on Sunday when the inspector, who was in a detention cell with other suspects, repeatedly hit his head against the wall before slumping. He was confirmed dead shortly after.
A security source familiar with the investigation told The Guardian that preliminary findings allegedly linked large sums of money—said to be running into hundreds of millions of naira—to the inspector’s personal bank account, although investigations are still ongoing.
The source also claimed that the late inspector allegedly owned multiple properties within and outside the state and was involved in timber business activities. He was further alleged to own two sawmills and several tree-cutting machines, with more than 50 workers under his payroll, and to be linked to illegal logging operations. These allegations, however, have not been independently verified.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in Niger State, SP Wasiu Abiodun, declined to confirm the details, describing the claims as speculative.
“The matter is under the purview of the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA),” Abiodun said. “Any information being circulated outside official channels should be treated with caution.”
Investigations into the alleged arms supply network and the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the two officers are said to be ongoing.
