By Desire Emmanuel
Eleven children who were found by men of the Borno State Police Command at a criminal hideout on Thursday around 4:00 a.m. with hard drugs have told the officers that they were involved in pickpocketing and phone theft.
The state police command announced the development in a statement, saying they were found at the criminal hideout when police operatives on patrol raided a known black spot at Pawari Forestry, Maiduguri, the state capital.
During the raid, they were found at the location during odd hours while some harmful/illicit liquid substances were recovered from them.
The names of those apprehended were given as Goni Usman (12 years), Abdul Bakura (12 years), Usman Haruna (15 years), Mohammed Ali (10 years), Abuya Audu (14 years) and Adamu Samaila (16 years).
Others were Ali Mohammed (15 years), Goni Tuja ((15 years), Tijjani Abubakar (13 years), Mohammed Nura (15 years) and Tijjani Mohammed (15 years).
“During their interrogation, the minors confessed to involvement in pickpocketing and mobile phone theft within markets and crowded public places,” the command disclosed.
The command therefore urged parents and guardians to always monitor the movement and associations of their children and wards and should not allow minors to stay out late or roam at night.
