Residents Accuse Nasarawa Police of Colluding to Free Suspected Criminal After Bribe
Tension has surged in Cajah Estate, New Karshi, Nasarawa State, as local residents have accused officers of the Nasarawa State Police Command of facilitating the escape of a notorious local criminal after allegedly accepting a bribe from him.
According to community members, the suspect, identified only as Doyin and widely feared for repeated break-ins and thefts, was apprehended on November 30, 2025, at the New Karshi Police Station following accusations that he stole an air conditioner from a home in the estate.
Rather than being prosecuted, locals claim that the police accepted money from the suspect and orchestrated a staged “escape” to justify his release. The alleged incident reportedly took place between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. on a Sunday.
“One man who has repeatedly disturbed the peace of our community was finally arrested, only for the police to collect money from him and then claim he escaped,” said one angry resident, who accused the station’s Crime Record Officer (CRO) of deliberately letting the suspect go.
Residents dismissed the police’s official narrative that the suspect fled custody, calling it a fabrication designed to protect officers who allegedly benefited financially from the release.
“How can a known thief be arrested, only for the police to free him and pretend he escaped? This shows the rot in the system,” another community member said, urging authorities not to allow criminals to be “recycled” back onto the streets.
The alleged escape has raised serious concerns about police accountability and local security, with residents demanding a transparent inquiry and for anyone found complicit in the incident to be sanctioned.
When contacted, SP Ramahan Nansel, spokesperson for the Nasarawa State Police Command, confirmed that an investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding the suspect’s alleged escape and that the findings would be made public.