By Rauf Oyewole
Operatives of the Bauchi State Police Command have arrested a 48-year-old man over alleged criminal conspiracy, car theft, drugging, and attempted culpable homicide following an incident involving a commercial driver.
The Command’s spokesperson, SP Nafiu Habib, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Bauchi.
According to the police, the incident was reported on May 10, 2026, by Ibrahim Isah of Dutsen Tanshi area of Bauchi, who alleged that his younger brother, Abdulkadir, was drugged and dispossessed of his vehicle by a passenger he had conveyed from Abuja.
Police said the victim, a 25-year-old resident of Rijin Gari Village in Toro Local Government Area, had on May 8 accepted a transport job from one Bala Yusuf of Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa State for an agreed fee of N100,000.
The suspect allegedly hired the victim to drive him in a Golf vehicle from Abuja to Jos, Plateau State, before convincing him to continue the journey to Bauchi to enable him visit his family.
The statement explained that after arriving in Bauchi, the two lodged in a hotel where the suspect allegedly laced the victim’s food with four tablets of Syridalude, popularly known as “Super Apetite.”
“The victim became unconscious a few minutes after consuming the food, while the suspect fled with the vehicle valued at N5 million,” the statement said.
The police added that the victim was rushed to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital for medical attention and was later discharged after treatment.
Detectives attached to the D Division, Dutsen Tanshi, were said to have launched an investigation which led to the arrest of the suspect and recovery of the stolen vehicle.
The suspect is currently in police custody while investigations continue to determine whether other accomplices were involved in the crime.
Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, commended the swift response of the operatives and reiterated the Command’s commitment to combating violent and organised crimes in the state.
He also advised members of the public to exercise caution in private transport arrangements and promptly report suspicious movements to security agencies.
The police said the suspect would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigation.
