Inspector Yahaya Mohammed, a former inspector of the Niger State Police Command, was sentenced to two years in prison by the Minna Chief Magistrate Court for stealing and selling ammunition and Ak 47 magazines to alleged armed bandits in the state.
Mohammed held the position of Second in Command at the Niger State Police Command headquarters, overseeing the armory, prior to his removal.
It was said that he had planned to carry out the unsightly deal with Ndaman Gana, an officer in charge of the state police command armory section.
He was charged with two counts of criminal conspiracy, theft of an Ak-47 magazine, and unlawful dealing in the sale of ammunition and magazines for an Ak-47.
The police prosecutor, DSP Ahmed Saidu, informed the court that the two count charges were in violation of sections 27 (6) (111) of Act 28 Law 2004 as well as sections 97, (2), and 288 (l) of the penal code.
The Police First Information Report (FIR), which was produced in court and which our reporter was able to obtain, stated that the Department of State Service (DSS) attached to the Rafi Local Government Area, Kagara, Niger State, had received credible information from a reliable source stating that an unknown person had transported goods inside a “Ghana must go bag” that was thought to be weapons to the Kagara motor park.
Detectives on the force moved quickly to take you into custody. Formerly serving as an officer in the Department of Operation Second in Command State Amory Minna, Inspector Yahaya Mohammed is a police officer.
“You, the ex-police inspector, and Ndaman Gana, the officer in charge of the state armory attached to the department of Operation OPs Minna, conspired during the police investigation to steal 22 magazines and 61 life ammunition of various calibres of property belonging to the Niger State Police Command.”
According to the First Information Report, “both of you sold each magazine at the rate of N1000, and each ammunition was sold at the rate of N650 to one corporal, Sani Mohammed, who was previously attached to Mopol 12 Minna.”
Following the reading of the accusation by Chief Magistrate Hajiya Fati Umar Hassan, he entered a guilty plea.
The Chief Magistrate was then instructed by the Prosecutor, DSP Ahmed Saidu, to use Section 190 of the Niger State Criminal Justice Law by convicting him summarily.
The prosecutor also informed the court that the convict had a diagnosis of cough hemoptysis and that the First Information Report included a copy of the medical report.
“Your worship, the illness in question is communicable. I pray the court will consider the medical report and consider how the prisoner would avoid interacting with other inmates to prevent the spread of the illness. I pray for that, the prosecutor said to the court.
Chief Magistrate Hajiya Fati Umar Hassan expressed dissatisfaction with the convict’s behavior in her ruling, particularly given that the convict is a police officer tasked with protecting the lives and property of the public.
As a police officer tasked with protecting the lives and property of citizens, it is regrettable that you are now selling ammunition to armed bandits who are terrorizing and killing innocent people throughout the nation. “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 it weren’t for the disease, I would have convicted you without an option of fine but for the benefit of other inmates not being infected with the disease, you are hereby sentenced to two years of imprisonment with the option of a N100,000 fine.”
In the event that the prisoner is unable to pay the fine, the Chief Magistrate has ordered that he be sent to the Chanchaga Leprosarium Colony to serve out his sentence.