The Bauchi State Police Command has successfully intercepted a truck suspected of transporting diverted refined iodised salt, valued at over N10 million.
According to a press release issued on Thursday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ahmed Wakil, the operation was carried out by operatives of the Alkeleri Divisional Police Headquarters following credible intelligence.
“On 30th April 2025, at about 1700 hours, operatives from the Alkeleri Divisional Police Headquarters acted on reliable intelligence, conducting a stop-and-search operation that led to the interception of a flat-topped truck trailer (registration number BAG 283 XF) carrying over one thousand bags of 25 kilograms each of iodised salt,” he said.
He added that the estimated value of the confiscated salt is approximately ₦10,200,000. While the driver of the vehicle fled the scene, two individuals were arrested in connection with the case.
The suspects—Sadik Jidda (20), from Borno State, and Ibrahim Ahmad (19), from Kaduna State—were reportedly serving as conductors and were inside the vehicle at the time of interception.
Wakil explained, “The total estimated value of the confiscated salt amounts to approximately ten million two hundred thousand Naira (₦10,200,000). While the driver escaped the scene, the two suspects—Sadik Jidda, aged 20 years old, from Borno State, and Ibrahim Ahmad, aged 19 years old, from Kaduna State—were apprehended within the vehicle.”
He noted that preliminary investigations revealed the suspects were informed by the driver about their destination in Alkeleri, Bauchi State. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing driver and gather more information surrounding the incident.
In a related development, the command also reported the arrest of a 28-year-old man, Jibrin Ali, from Zandar, Niger Republic, in the Yankari Game Reserve, Alkeleri LGA. He was allegedly impersonating a military officer and acting suspiciously in an area notorious for banditry.
“Detectives from the Alkeleri Divisional Police Headquarters intervened during a routine patrol in collaboration with local security outfits and facilitated his arrest, which was met with some resistance,” Wakil said.
He added, “Upon interrogation, he could not satisfactorily explain his presence in the forest, raising concerns regarding his potential involvement with local criminal elements.”
Wakil also mentioned that the Commissioner of Police in Bauchi State, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, commended the professionalism of the officers involved in both operations and directed the transfer of the cases to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
He concluded by reaffirming the command’s commitment to public safety: “Bauchi State Command remains committed to prioritising our communities’ safety and security and appreciates the support of local security forces in these endeavours.”
