Nigeria: Dismissed Police Officer Arrested for Robbery, ₦150,000 Extortion in Niger

The Niger State Police Command has arrested a 30-year-old dismissed police officer, Haruna Haggai, for allegedly impersonating a serving police officer, snatching motorcycles and extorting residents of Minna, the state capital.

Haggai was arrested on January 16, 2026, at about 10:00 p.m. at his residence in the Sauka-Kahuta area by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department (FID) and the Special Tactical Squad, following actionable intelligence and a complaint lodged by one of his victims.

Confirming the arrest in a statement on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Wasiu Abiodun, said the suspect allegedly posed as a police officer on January 14, 2026, along Kpakungu Road, where he intercepted a motorcycle rider and forcefully dispossessed him of his motorcycle.

According to SP Abiodun, "The suspect was arrested based on a direct complaint that a victim was riding a Jincheng motorcycle along Kpakungu Road on January 14, 2026, when the suspect intercepted him, impersonated a policeman, intimidated the victim, and forcefully collected the motorcycle."

He explained that the suspect subsequently conveyed the victim around town, falsely accused him of fraud, and extorted the sum of ₦150,000 from him around the Garatu area before abandoning him and escaping with the motorcycle.

"He later conveyed the rider around the town, extorted the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand naira from him around Garatu, tagged him a fraudster, abandoned him, and made away with the motorcycle," the police spokesman said.

Abiodun further disclosed that the suspect is a dismissed police officer and a repeat offender. He revealed that in October 2025, Haggai was arrested for allegedly impersonating an official of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and extorting ₦400,000 from a victim, but was released following an out-of-court settlement.

The PPRO added that residents of the Sauka-Kahuta area and its environs had also reported the suspect for allegedly harassing and terrorising them, as well as extorting and robbing them of their valuables.

"The suspect is currently in custody undergoing investigation. The motorcycle has been recovered, and he will be charged to court for prosecution, taking into account records of his previous offences," Abiodun stated.

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