A dismissed inspector of police has been convicted and sentenced to two years by Minna Chief Magistrate Court for theft and sale of AK 47 magazines and ammunition to suspected bandits.
The former second-in-command in charge of armory with the Niger State Police Command headquarters was found guilty of conspiring with Ndaman Gana, another officer in charge of the state police command armory department, to steal and sell arms to criminals.
The convict was arraigned on two counts of criminal conspiracy and theft of AK47 magazines, as well as unlawful dealing in the sale of AK47 magazines and ammunition.
According to the police prosecutor, DSP Ahmed Saidu, these charges contravene sections 97, (2), and 288 l of the penal code and sections 27 (6) (111) of Act 28 of 2004.
According to reports, the Police First Information Report (FIR) revealed that the Department of State Services (DSS) received credible information from a reliable source about an unknown person transporting goods suspected to be arms in a “Ghana Must Go” bag to Kagara motor park. Police detectives acted on this information and arrested the dismissed inspector.
The First Information Report stated that both individuals sold each magazine at a rate of N1,000, and each piece of ammunition was sold at a rate of N650 to ex-corporal Sani Mohammed, who was formerly attached to Mopol 12 Minna.
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When the charge was presented to him, the convict pleaded guilty.
This was confirmed by the presiding chief magistrate, Hajiya Fati Umar Hassan.
In her ruling, the chief magistrate voiced her displeasure with the convict’s behaviour, particularly given that he was a police officer tasked with defending the public’s safety and property.
She, however, commanded that he be sent to the Chanchaga Leprosarium Colony to serve out his jail sentence if he did not pay the fine of N100,000, which was given as an option on the grounds of the convict suffering from a contagious disease as reported by the prosecutor during trial.