The Niger State Police Command has arrested four suspected vigilante members over the abduction and killing of a 32-year-old cattle trader, Umar Bingel, in Kontagora.

Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, in the Police weekly bulletin, said the victim, a resident of Dadin-Kowa area of Kontagora, was abducted on February 12, 2026, at about 4 pm while returning from the market along Government Day Secondary School road.

According to the police, Bingel was riding his Bajaj motorcycle and had N1.5 million, believed to be proceeds from the sale of his cows, when he was allegedly intercepted and taken to an unknown location by suspected vigilante members.

Operatives attached to the Kontagora Area Command launched an investigation immediately after receiving the report. This led to the arrest of Suleiman Umar, Tanko Sale, and Rabiu Bako, all identified as members of a vigilante group in Kontagora.

During interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed to having knowledge of the crime and named two alleged leaders of the group, identified as Danbaba and Smalli of Farin-Shinge village via Kontagora, as those responsible for killing the victim.

The principal suspect, Danbaba, was arrested on February 15. Police said he led operatives to a pit where Bingel’s decomposed body had been dumped. The corpse was recovered and taken to the General Hospital in Kontagora before it was released to the family for burial.

Exhibits recovered from the suspects include the victim’s Bajaj motorcycle, three locally made guns, two dane guns, and four rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition. The suspects are undergoing further investigation and will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Minna.

In a separate development, the police also arrested a 40-year-old man, Jafar Mohammed, also known as Danlami, over an alleged attempt to sexually assault three girls aged between six and seven years in Kontagora.

The Police said the incident occurred on February 11, 2026, at about 10 am at an uncompleted building in the Dadin-Kowa area of the town, when the suspect allegedly lured the children with candy before one of the girls raised an alarm, attracting neighbours who apprehended him and handed him over to the police.

The suspect has since been transferred to the SCID in Minna for further investigation and possible prosecution, the police said. (The Nation)

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