The Niger State Police Command has arrested four suspects in separate operations, recovering three plastic pistols, 16 ATM cards and a vehicle allegedly stolen in Lapai, Lapai local government area of the state.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Abiodun said a surveillance patrol team attached to the Tudun-Wada Division arrested Zaradeen Sani, 19, of Bosso, and Yakubu Abdullahi, 20, of Maitumbi, at about 11 p.m. on July 14 along the M.I. Wushishi Estate Junction in Minna.

He said the suspects were intercepted in a tricycle, and a search led to the recovery of three plastic pistols and 16 expired ATM cards belonging to different banks

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According to the police, the suspects claimed the ATM cards were picked from the ground while scavenging in Lagos.

However, Police investigators suspect they had been using the toy guns to rob unsuspecting residents around the M.I. Wushishi Estate area.

In a separate operation, police took over two suspected car thieves from the Kano State Police Command after they allegedly confessed to stealing a Volkswagen vehicle in Lapai, Niger State.

The suspects, identified as Dauda Saidu, 23, of Dindare village in Tofa area of Kaduna State, and Hassan Aliyu, 28, of Faki, Ikara Local Government Area of Kaduna State, allegedly admitted stealing the vehicle about six months ago at Maraban-Gulu via Lapai.

The Police PRO  said the suspects took the vehicle to Kaduna State, where they allegedly used it for commercial transportation between Kaduna and Kano and in other criminal activities.

The stolen Volkswagen has since been recovered, while efforts are ongoing to trace its rightful owner.

SP Abiodun further stated that both cases are under investigation at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).

A 40-year-old man, Clement Anthony, has been arrested by the Bauchi State Police Command for allegedly murdering a 55-year-old man and unlawfully possessing a locally made firearm in Bauchi metropolis.

SP Nafiu Habib, the command’s spokesman, in a statement on Tuesday, said the incident was reported to the ‘A’ Division Police Station on July 19, 2026, by a 47-year-old resident of Unguwar Ngas in Bauchi Local Government Area.

According to Habib, “The complainant alleged that one Clement Anthony, a 40-year-old, of Unguwar Ngas, Inkil, Bauchi, armed himself with a locally made single-barrel gun and intentionally shot Mr. Jacob Bature, a 55-year-old, the Mai Anguwan Ngas, during an altercation.”

The victim, according to the statement, was rushed to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, where doctors confirmed him dead following the gunshot injuries sustained to the right side of his chest.

Nafiu added that the victim’s remains had been deposited at the hospital’s mortuary pending further investigation, explaining that police operatives had arrested the suspect and recovered the locally made single-barrel firearm allegedly used in the attack, along with one expended cartridge.

He said the suspect would be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations, adding that the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a thorough investigation.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, while reacting to the incident, condemned the killing and assured the command’s commitment to ensuring that perpetrators of violent crimes are brought to justice. He urged residents to desist from the unlawful possession of firearms and report suspicious persons or activities promptly to the nearest police station.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, has attributed the fire that gutted part of Sabo Market in Ikorodu in the early hours of Tuesday to a suspected electrical surge.

The agency disclosed this in a statement issued by its Head of Public Affairs, Afolabi Olawale, noting that the incident occurred at about 1:10 a.m.

According to LASEMA, emergency responders from its Tiger Squad, working in collaboration with the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, swiftly mobilised to the scene, where they found a row of market stalls engulfed in flames.

Preliminary investigations indicated that the fire originated in one of the shops before rapidly spreading to adjoining stores. The agency said the blaze was believed to have been triggered by an electrical surge during public power supply.

LASEMA stated that the prompt response of emergency personnel prevented the fire from extending to other sections of the market and nearby buildings.

The agency confirmed that 17 out of the 32 shops in the affected section were destroyed, with goods including provisions, groceries, food items and other valuables lost in the inferno.

Despite the extensive damage to property, no fatalities or injuries were recorded during the incident.

It added that the remaining shops and surrounding parts of the market were successfully protected through the timely intervention of emergency responders.

LASEMA disclosed that recovery operations had been concluded and its response team had since withdrawn from the scene after bringing the situation under control.

The agency commended members of its Tiger Squad and personnel of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service for their professionalism and coordinated efforts in containing the fire.

The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, urged traders and market leaders to place greater emphasis on electrical safety to reduce the risk of similar incidents.

He advised shop owners to ensure proper electrical wiring, avoid overloading electrical appliances and carry out regular inspections of electrical installations.

Oke-Osanyintolu also encouraged residents to promptly report emergencies through the state’s toll-free emergency lines, 112 and 767, to facilitate swift response.

He reaffirmed the Lagos State Government’s commitment to safeguarding lives, property and the livelihoods of residents across the state.