A Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound while under investigation for allegedly diverting police weaponry to criminal gangs in Niger State.
The officer, DSP Isah Abdullahi, reportedly shot himself inside a secured armory on December 16, 2025, as auditors confronted him over significant shortages in arms and ammunition.
The incident followed an audit initiated by detectives from Abuja at the Mopol 12 armory in Minna. Preliminary checks revealed 13 AK-47 rifles and over 2,000 rounds of live ammunition were unaccounted for.
Investigations led to the arrest of Police Inspector John Moses, attached to the Niger State Government House. During interrogation, Inspector Moses allegedly confessed that DSP Abdullahi supplied him with arms and ammunition, which were then sold to bandits in the troubled Shiroro Local Government Area through an informant.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that Inspector Moses received the arms from the late DSP and passed them to his brother, an indigene of Erena, who is an informant to bandits, for onward delivery to the criminals,” a security source explained.
DSP Abdullahi, who was the armory officer, was taken into custody on December 15. He was later escorted back to the armory the following day for a physical audit.
According to the Niger State Commissioner of Police, CP Adamu Elleman, the tragedy occurred as the officer began opening ammunition boxes.
“The officer smartly brought out a pistol and shot himself when he started bringing out boxes that were supposed to contain ammunition and they were all empty,” CP Elleman stated.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the sequence of events, noting the officer “shot himself in the head with a pistol he picked within the office and died on the spot.”
The armory’s electronic access system, controlled solely by the deceased, reportedly prevented escorts from restraining him in time.
In the aftermath, the police officers who accompanied DSP Abdullahi have been arrested for alleged negligence. Four other officers attached to him are also undergoing interrogation.
A special team from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), which had earlier taken the lead in the investigation and moved suspects to Abuja, is now guarding the sealed armory.
CP Elleman stated that an autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death. Inspector John Moses remains in custody with ONSA for further investigation.
The police command has assured the public that a thorough investigation is ongoing.