Operatives of the Niger State Police Command have gunned down a suspected armed robber who was dressed in military camouflage during a late-night exchange of gunfire.

The command’s spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, explained in a statement on Thursday that the suspect was killed after his gang opened fire on police officers responding to a robbery alert. He added that three other members of the group escaped with gunshot wounds.

According to the statement, officers recovered an improvised firearm from the deceased, while efforts were ongoing to track down the fleeing suspects.

Abiodun noted that the police received a distress call around 11:45 p.m. on November 20, 2025, reporting the presence of armed robbers attacking motorists along the Lambata–Maje–Suleja road.

A patrol team from the Maje Division immediately moved to the location and encountered the gang near the Numbawa/Malam-karo axis. The suspects reportedly opened fire, prompting the officers to engage them. One of the robbers, who was dressed in military gear, was killed in the shootout, while the rest fled.

Recovered items included an improvised wooden gun wrapped with black tape, a mobile phone, and a torchlight. The body of the suspect was deposited at the Suleja General Hospital morgue, and normal vehicular movement was restored along the route.

In a related development, three additional robbery suspects were arrested along Kaduna Road in Suleja after allegedly attacking a resident and stealing his motorcycle, phone, power bank, and ATM cards.

Abiodun said subsequent investigations led to the arrest of 19-year-old Fatimah Abdullahi and 21-year-old Shuaibu Ibrahim, both from the Dan-Zazzau area of Kaduna, as well as 21-year-old Sagir Adam from the T/Wada area of Zaria.

He explained that interrogation revealed that Shuaibu and Sagir work as scrap dealers at Jabi garage and identified one Faisal as the person who coordinated the robbery. The police stated that efforts to apprehend Faisal are underway as investigations continue.