- The stolen 2013 Toyota Corolla was reportedly sold across the border in the Niger Republic before recovery by police.
- The accomplices, both from Katsina, were tracked and apprehended by officers during an extended tactical operation.
The Kano state police command has arrested three suspected trans-border criminals involved in a vehicle theft case at a car dealership.
Spokesperson for the Command, Superintendent Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said the suspects were nabbed during a tactical operation by the Special Intervention Squad.
Kiyawa said the gang leader, identified as Shamsu Yusuf, also known as “Chitta”, was arrested alongside two accomplices following intelligence gathering.
He explained that the vehicle, a gold-coloured 2013 Toyota Corolla, was stolen during a test drive on July 7 in Kano.
According to him, the suspect posed as a potential buyer at Dangari Motors before escaping with the car without returning.
“Following a coordinated tactical operation, operatives from the Command’s Special Intervention Squad (SIS) led by CSP Rabiu Gidado arrested the principal suspect and his two accomplices on 17th July 2025,” he said.
The police spokesperson revealed that two other suspects, Bashir Ladan, 40, of Shagari Quarters, Katsina, and Suleiman Muntari, 41, of Tudun Matawalle, Katsina State, were arrested in Katsina.
He added that the Toyota Corolla, already sold in the Niger Republic, was recovered and returned.
“The accomplices, Bashir Ladan, a 40-year-old male from Shagari Quarters, Katsina, and Suleiman Muntari, a 41-year-old male from Tudun Matawalle, Katsina State, were arrested in Katsina State. The stolen motor vehicle, which had been sold in the Niger Republic, was recovered,” the statement partly reads.
Kiyawa said the ringleader, Chitta, confessed to several other similar thefts, including the snatching of a Mercedes Benz GLK.
Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, commended the officers for their swift action and professionalism.
He urged car dealers to exercise greater caution during transactions and test drives to avoid being defrauded.
Bakori reassured residents that the Command would continue to prioritise safety and security across Kano and neighbouring states.