Niger State Police Arrest Suspect in Beheading of Commercial Motorcyclist

The Niger State Police Command has taken Mohammed Ibrahim, also known as Manga, into custody in connection with the death of commercial motorcyclist Shehu Mohammed. Police spokesperson SP Wasiu Abiodun announced the arrest in a statement issued Wednesday, October 14, 2026. Ibrahim, 25, from the Gusasse area of Bosso Local Government Area, was apprehended by officers attached to the Maikunkele Division along with personnel from the Violent Crime Response Unit, or VCRU. According to the police account, the suspect hired Shehu Mohammed, 23, a commercial rider from Pai village in Bosso LGA, on September 30. Ibrahim reportedly asked the motorcyclist to take him from Beji to Garatu village, saying he wanted to visit friends there. As they returned from Garatu around midnight along the Gidan-Kwano–Maikunkele road, Ibrahim allegedly conspired with two accomplices, one identified as Risku, to attack the rider. Shehu Mohammed was beheaded, and the attackers took away his new Bajaj motorcycle. The police spokesperson said the arrest occurred on October 1, 2026, at about 2 p.m. Ibrahim is accused of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide and motorcycle theft. Preliminary findings, police said, indicated that the suspect admitted involvement during questioning. Officers recovered the stolen motorcycle and a cutlass from him. Police are still searching for Risku and the other accomplice, both of whom remain at large. Ibrahim is being held at the VCRU as the investigation continues. Police said he will be charged before a court with proper jurisdiction once the inquiry is completed and efforts to establish the full circumstances of the incident are concluded.