* Bust car theft syndicate
Police operatives from the Federal Capital Territory Command have arrested six suspected “one chance” operators in Abuja.
The suspects are Abubakar Adams, Ismail Salisu, Yusuf Bello, Nasiru Saidi, Sani Usman and Ibrahim Kasa.
According to the FCT command spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, the suspects robbed passengers who boarded their vehicles, motorcycles and tricycles, and pushed them out afterwards.
She said: “The operatives of the police command attached to Utako divisional headquarters, on June 16, 2024, acting on credible intelligence, trailed and arrested six armed robbery suspects: Abubakar Adams, Ismail Salisu, Yusuf Bello, Nasiru Saidi, Sani Usman and Ibrahim Kasa, who specialise in attacking unsuspecting residents who board their vehicle or tricycle, robbing them of their valuables and pushing them off the moving vehicle or tricycle.”
Adeh said their arrest followed complaints from victims.
She noted that cutlasses and knives among others were recovered from the suspects.
“The suspects were apprehended on the heels of complaints received from multiple victims of these atrocious acts, some of whom reported losing their mobile phones, money, gadgets, and other belongings to these criminal individuals who have since confessed to the crime.
“Light weapons such as cutlasses, knives, and a phone believed to have been stolen from a victim were recovered from them.”
Adeh stated that while the investigation was still ongoing, the commissioner of police FCT, CP Benneth Igweh reaffirmed the command’s commitment to ensure the safety and security of all and sundry.
“He also urged the populace to be vigilant and take advantage of the police emergency lines in reporting suspicious activities through,” the statement said.
In a similar occurrence in May 2024, operatives of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command busted a car theft syndicate that specialises in stealing vehicles from Abuja and selling them in Lagos State.
Parading the suspects, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igweh, disclosed that luck ran out of the gang when a friend to one of their victims whose car was stolen in Abuja travelled to Lagos for an engagement only to see the stolen car of his friend at a car stand, put up for sale.
Igweh said he subsequently alerted the victim to come to Lagos and check the car.
On getting to Lagos, he confirmed the car to be his stolen Toyota Camry and informed the FCT Police.
The CP said police detectives deployed in the scene, discovered that the original chasis of the stolen car had been changed, the car was recovered and the criminals arrested.
