The Kano State Police Command has recovered 160 suspected stolen solar inverters worth about N59.2 million in Kano following intelligence provided by a community policing stakeholder.
The recovery was announced in a statement issued on Saturday by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, who said the operation was one of two major breakthroughs recorded by the command within 48 hours through the efforts of officers from the Sharada Police Division and the Special Intervention Squad (SIS).
According to the statement, detectives attached to the Sharada Police Division acted on credible information on July 29 after receiving reports that a man was offering large quantities of solar inverters for sale at unusually low prices.
The police said the suspect, identified as 43-year-old Abdullahi Isah, was arrested, while a follow-up operation led officers to an uncompleted building at Haye Quarters along the Western Bypass Road in Kano, where the inverters were found.
Police said a total of 160 pieces of 6.5KW/48V solar inverters, valued at N59.2 million, were recovered from the building and are believed to have been stolen.
The command called on anyone who owns or recently lost solar inverters matching the description to report to the Sharada Police Division for identification and possible recovery.
“The items are reasonably suspected to have been stolen,” the statement said.
The police added that investigations are ongoing to determine where the items came from and identify other people who may be connected to the case.
The suspect would be charged to court after investigations are completed, the command said.
In another operation, the police arrested three suspects in connection with the theft of six fuel dispensing machines worth about N10.2 million from Jajire Filling Station in Aku Village along Maiduguri Road in Gaya Local Government Area.
According to the police, the robbery took place in the early hours of July 25 when armed men reportedly overpowered the station’s security guards, tied them up, locked them inside the security room and carted away the fuel dispensing machines.
After the incident was reported later that day, operatives of the Special Intervention Squad launched an investigation and arrested three suspects on July 29.
The suspects were identified as Bishir Abubakar, 60, of Gafai Ward in Katsina State; Shamsu Abdullahi, 30, of Kofar Kaura Ward in Katsina State; and Alhaji Shamsu Lawan, 56, of Filin Polo in Katsina State.
During interrogation, the police said the suspects confessed to buying the stolen fuel dispensing machines from one Usman Ibrahim of Kaduna State, who is currently on the run, for N5.2 million.
The command said efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspect and recover the stolen machines, while the arrested suspects will also be charged to court after investigations are completed.
Kano police recover suspected stolen solar inverters worth N59.2m, arrest suspect