{
  "id": 9824693,
  "title": "Police arrest two over mast vandalism in Niger, suspected soldier escapes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/police-arrest-two-over-mast-vandalism-in-niger-suspected-soldier",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-25T19:56:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Post Nigeria",
    "slug": "daily-post-nigeria",
    "url": "https://dailypost.ng/2026/09/25/police-arrest-two-over-mast-vandalism-in-niger-suspected-soldier-escapes/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Minna, Niger State, two men, Ogbonna David, 34, and Chidiebere Okonkwo, 30, have been apprehended for allegedly damaging a communication mast, according to the Niger State Police Command. The arrest took place on September 20, 2026, at Tungan-Mallam Village along the Paiko-Lapai Road. The suspects were reportedly identified when a Mazda vehicle with registration number PHC 544 BP, suspected of being stolen, was seen moving through the area around 5:50 PM. Upon interception, David and Okonkwo were apprehended. The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, informed that the pair was one of four individuals in the vehicle, including a suspected soldier who was serving as an escort. The suspects were traced to Minna's Brighter area, where they allegedly vandalized the mast and stole solar batteries before attempting to escape towards Abuja. Following the arrest, the suspects fled, leaving behind a trail of stolen goods including four solar batteries, two Android phones, a keypad phone, two gas cylinders, three pairs of military camouflage, a pair of military boots, a green beret, three passport photographs, N26,000 in cash, a knife, and a bag containing spanners. The two individuals have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Minna for further investigation and potential prosecution. Simultaneously, police are actively searching for the other suspects who escaped during the pursuit. Separately, 35-year-old Lami Bako from Mokwa was arrested after she was intercepted with a two-month-old baby near Kainji Junction early on September 20. Bako claimed that the baby was not biologically hers and that an unidentified woman had given the child to her. The case is now being investigated by the SCID to identify those involved and reunite the baby with its mother.",
  "summary": "The Niger State Police Command has arrested two men over the alleged vandalism of a communication mast in Minna, while a suspected soldier and another accomplice reportedly escaped during their interception along the Paiko-Lapai Road. The suspects, Ogbonna David, 34, from Ogbo Local Government Area of Rivers State, and Chidiebere Okonkwo, 30, from Port Harcourt, […] Police arrest two over mast…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "Police arrest guard over defilement, death of minor in Niger",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/police-arrest-guard-over-defilement-death-of-minor-in-niger",
        "published": "2026-09-25T21:44:40.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}