Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
POLICE in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have announced a significant victory in their fight against crime, with the arrest of a nine-man armed robbery gang and the recovery of three stolen vehicles alongside a trove of stolen goods.
The breakthrough followed an intensive, intelligence-led manhunt launched after robbers broke into a home in the Jikwoyi area on 18th January. The occupants were robbed of personal belongings, a substantial sum of money, and their Toyota Corolla car.
Acting on the report, officers from the Command’s elite Scorpion Squad tracked the suspects to a hideout in neighbouring Nasarawa state on 26th January. Police said the gang was “hibernating” there and in the advanced stages of planning another robbery attack in the upmarket Asokoro district of Abuja.
The suspects, whose ages range from 18 to 62, were apprehended without incident. Those in custody have been named as Mohammed Yanusa (21), Abubakar Mohammed (20), Isah Salihu (18), Nura Zakare (20), John Paul Itodo (62), Augustin Daudu (30), Musbau Ali (32), Innocent Omale (44), and Usman Mohammed (22).
The haul of recovered items is extensive. Alongside the stolen Toyota Corolla and two other Toyota Camry saloons, police seized four television sets, nine laptops, two generators, multiple bottles of wine, electronic equipment, and a knife.
During questioning, the suspects allegedly disclosed that they typically sold stolen vehicles to receivers in Kaduna and Kano states for between ₦550,000 and ₦650,000. The FCT Police Command stated that investigations are now being “expanded to apprehend the receivers of the stolen vehicles.”
The Police Public Relations Officer for the FCT Command, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the arrests in a statement released on 6th February. She assured the public that “the suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.”
Commending the officers for their swift action, the Command reiterated its commitment to ridding the capital of criminal elements. FCT residents are urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity promptly using the dedicated emergency lines.
