WorldStage– Nigeria’s Police has confirmed that the officers who were escorting a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Abdullahi Isah who died by suicide at the Mopol 12 armoury in Minna, Niger State have been arrested for negligence while facing orderly room trials.
At least four other officers were also said to be under interrogation.
Isah, popularly known as Kunkuri, has died by suicide on December 16, 2025, during a routine arms audit ordered by police authorities.
Multiple senior police officials have confirmed the development, describing it as a major internal security breach now under national-level investigation.
According to the Niger State Police Command, DSP Isah had earlier been arrested on December 15 after preliminary findings from detectives deployed from Abuja raised suspicion of illegal arms dealings.
A subsequent audit revealed that 13 AK-47 rifles and more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition were missing, all traced to the AK-47 section of the armoury, which was electronically controlled and reportedly accessible only to him.
Police spokesperson SP Wasiu Abiodun said that while being escorted for a physical verification of the armoury following initial interrogation, DSP Isah gained access to a pistol and shot himself in the head at about 2:30 p.m.
He was confirmed dead at the scene. Officers also reportedly discovered empty ammunition boxes during the inspection, further deepening concerns about diversion of weapons.
The Niger State Commissioner of Police, Adamu Elleman, confirmed the incident and said investigations had been expanded to uncover the full scope of the alleged arms diversion.
He disclosed that Inspector John Moses, attached to the Niger State Government House, had been arrested in connection with the case and reportedly confessed that weapons and ammunition were supplied to him by DSP Isah.
The arms were allegedly sold to criminal elements in the Erena community of Shiroro Local Government Area through Isah’s brother.
The armoury has been sealed and placed under 24-hour guard by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), which has taken over coordination of the wider investigation.
Police authorities said an autopsy would be conducted to formally establish the cause of death, even as the incident has raised broader questions about arms management, internal oversight, and corruption within the security services.
Reports that the late DSP owned multiple properties and vehicles in Minna are also being examined as part of the probe into possible illicit enrichment.
The case comes against the backdrop of worsening insecurity in parts of Niger State, particularly Shiroro LGA, which has experienced repeated bandit attacks.
