By Kingsley Omonobi

The Nigeria Police Force, through the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, has arrested a Chadian national wanted by authorities in N’Djamena over the alleged murder of Nazik Mahamat Saleh.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Aniete Iniedu, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, saying the suspect was arrested in Kano State and subsequently repatriated to Chad to face the judicial process.

According to the statement, the suspect, Mahadijiria Abdoulaye, was arrested by operatives of INTERPOL NCB Abuja on August 5, 2026, at Railway Quarters, Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State, following coordinated intelligence operations.

Iniedu said an international warrant of arrest had been issued by the Court of Appeal, N’Djamena, on June 22, 2026, against Abdoulaye and an accomplice, Fatime Senoussi Mouktar, in connection with the murder case.

The police spokesman said Abdoulaye was wanted over the death of Saleh, who was allegedly tortured and killed on May 3, 2026.

He added that the suspect was also allegedly linked to narcotics trafficking activities in Chad and reportedly fled to Nigeria after the incident.

Following her arrest in Kano, Abdoulaye was repatriated to N’Djamena on August 14, 2026, through Lomé, Togo, under established bilateral police cooperation arrangements.

The repatriation was facilitated by INTERPOL NCB Abuja in collaboration with INTERPOL NCB N’Djamena, enabling the suspect to return to Chad to face the judicial process.

Commending the operation, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, praised the operatives of INTERPOL NCB Abuja for their professionalism, diligence and effective coordination with their Chadian counterparts.

Disu said the successful arrest and repatriation demonstrated the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to ensuring that fugitives do not evade justice by crossing international borders.

The Force reiterated its commitment to leveraging international policing channels and partnerships to track fugitives, disrupt trans-border criminal networks and prevent persons wanted for serious crimes from finding safe haven in Nigeria.