23 suspects arrested,13 vehicles recovered in FCT police crackdown

Stanley Ihedigbo

FCT Police Command has achieved significant successes in its fight against crime, arresting 23 suspects and recovering 13 vehicles.

The Command’s efforts led to the apprehension of notorious armed robbery and car theft gangs operating in the FCT, Nassarawa, Kaduna, and Kano states.

In a press briefing by the Commissioner of Police, FCT, Abuja, CP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, said that in continuation of its agenda to rid the FCT of all forms of crime and criminality, has recently intensified its efforts to ensure the safety and security of residents’ lives and properties.

“This has led to the following successes, arrest of notorious armed robbery,  car theft suspects and recovery of stolen vehicles. In a proactive move to curtail the activities of armed robbers and car snatchers within the FCT, operatives from FCT Police Command, acting on credible intelligence, trailed and arrested three suspects, namely: Aji Thomas,32, from Gwoza Local Government Area, Borno State; Amobi Ndukwe, 40, from Agwu Local Government Area , Enugu State; and Amaechi Sampson, 26, from Imo State. The trio belongs to a notorious four-man gang that specializes in armed robbery and car snatching. This particular gang operates within FCT, Nassarawa, Kaduna, and Kano states. The gang is led by one Chidiebere (surname unknown), who is currently at large. Their mode of operation includes trailing unsuspecting victims to a convenient location where they strike, dispossessing their victims of their vehicles and any other valuables they can find.

“They proceed to disengage any tracking gadgets they can find installed in the vehicle, taking it to any of the above-mentioned states where they have ready buyers on standby. It is important to note that two of the suspects, Aji Thomas and Amobi Ndukwe, are ex-convicts and have served their time in prison and were released, but were still on the commands watchlist and went back to rejoin their other gang members who escaped arrest the last time. The suspects were arrested while attempting to sell a stolen blue Toyota Corolla vehicle with Registration Number KTW 2155D to one of the Command undercover operatives. During interrogation, they admitted to operating in Garki for the past year and a half, claiming responsibility for numerous car thefts within the metropolis.

“Following a distress call by one Mr. Philemon Olaoluwa who reported a case of car theft to Central Police Divisional Headquarters that his vehicle, a Honda Accord 2006 model, ash in color with registration Number RBC 40 NW, developed a mechanical fault, prompting him to contract the services of one Abdulhamed Saidu  (currently at large), who was recommended to him by his friends as a mechanic at Apo mechanic village FCT. The suspect, however, came to pick up the vehicle at the victim’s residence for repairs. The victim, who was unaware of the motives of the mechanic, released his vehicle with its documents inside the car to the suspect, who absconded with the said vehicle to an unknown destination. With the aid of digital tracking technology installed in the car, police operatives of the FCT Command tracked the vehicle to Rayfield Jos, Plateau State, where it was found in possession of one Joseph Abang, who confessed that he received the vehicle from his accomplice, Abdulhamid Saidu.

“It may interest you to know that Joseph Abang is a notorious car theft suspect who specializes in receiving, rebranding, and selling off vehicles stolen by his accomplices. Joseph Abang was arrested at his workshop, and two additional vehicles— a Hyundai Accent and a Peugeot 208—undergoing rebranding and suspected to be stolen were also recovered from him. He confessed to having rebranded and sold over 16 vehicles in the past 4 years. He is in custody and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of the investigation”, he explained .

The CP further explained that on 21st  October 2024, following a distress call about armed robbers operating at Femi Gbajabiamila Crescent, Jahi, police operatives from the Mabushi Division swiftly mobilized to the scene.

“Two vehicles were seen speeding away from the residence of Iyoha Brian and Aliyu Adamu. On sighting the police patrol vehicle, the suspects opened fire, engaging the police in a heated gun duel, and in the ensuing confrontation, two of the armed robbery suspects were neutralized by the police. The other suspects took to their heels, abandoning four vehicles: a dark-colored Volkswagen Sharon (Registration Number NSR 257) is suspected to be their operational vehicle. and the remaining three: a black Toyota Corolla LE (Registration Number RSH 137 TH); a silver Toyota Corolla (Registration Number RLU 472 SG); and A black-coloured Toyota Prado jeep (Registration Number KUJ 905 BV) suspected to be their victims’ vehicles.

“In an exceptional display of bravery, our police operatives chased after the fleeing suspects, apprehending two suspects, Haruna Umar Abdullahi,32, and Yerima Mohammed Usman, 28, from Kaduna State and Bauchi State, respectively, while others escaped with bullet wounds. After a follow-up operation on October 23, 2024, two additional gang members, Abba Ismail, AKA Dan-Abba, and Ashiru Suleiman,  who had earlier escaped from the scene, during interrogation, the suspects confessed to being part of a notorious 10-man gang of armed robbers who operate within Mabushi, Jahi, and Gishiri. This gang is led by one Dan Auwalu (a.k.a. Auwal), who is currently at large. Efforts are on top gear to apprehend the gang leader and other gang members.

“The FCT Police Command, in its continuous effort to rid the FCT of all forms of crime and criminality, has arrested twelve (12) armed robbery suspects, popularly known as One Chance, and recovered a total of six  vehicles suspected to be their operational vehicle and one locally made barrel pistol. The twelve suspects include; Joseph John Odeh; Moses Elachi; Mathias Agbodo; Ali Bukar Gana; Muhammed In USA; Muhammad Adamu;  Abbas Rabiu;  Suleiman Lawal; Aminu Auwal; Ibrahim Shehu; Abbah Mohammed and Abdulkarim Mohammed.

According the the police FCT boss, the first three suspects belong to a gang of one-chance operators who specialize in masquerading as police and DSS officers, pick up unsuspecting victims, and take them to unknown locations, demanding ransom for their release.

“Luck ran out on them when, on 12 October 2024, following a complaint from one Jeremiah David and Amaka Humina, both of Nasarawa State, at the Anti-One Chance office, on the same date at about 12:00 PM, they were stopped by three men in a white coloured Toyota Camry with registration number ABJ 221 BV while in transit from Keffi to Abuja. The suspects forcefully ejected them from their vehicle, claiming to be officers from the Department of State Service (DSS) who are on investigations.

“They proceeded to drive them to an unknown destination and demanded that they call their family and raise money for their release. The suspects transferred the sum of N400,000 from the victims and also collected an iPhone 14 Pro Max, an iPhone 15 Pro, a Samsung S20, and a Samsung S8 Plus from the victims. On receipt of the complaint, Police Operatives FCT Command trailed and arrested them. In a similar operation, on 30 October 2024 at about 2:00am, a Golf III Saloon vehicle used by suspected one-chance operators was being burned with their gang leader, one Giwa  (surname unknown), along NYSC Junction Kubwa. Police operatives quickly deployed to the scene and met a group of people who claimed that a gang of one-chance operators who have been terrorizing the Kubwa area were caught around the NYSC junction and set ablaze while three others escaped the scene into the nearby bushes.

“Police operatives launched a manhunt and arrested the other gang members who had escaped the scene, Ali Bukar Gana, Muhammed Inusa, and Muhammad Adamu, at their hideout in Malaysia IDP camp, Apo mechanic village, on 31 October 2024. During interrogation, suspects freely confessed to being members of a notorious one-chance syndicate led by Giwa  (now deceased) and have been operating along the Aya to Zuba expressway for over a year now. They are still in custody and will be charged in court after the investigations. During interrogation, suspects confessed to the police that they impersonated personnel of different security agencies to defraud unsuspecting citizens, and they have been operating on various routes within the FCT for the past two years.

“The following exhibits were recovered from them; one gold-colored Toyota Corolla with tinted glass windows (no reg. number); one blue-colored Golf III vehicle (no reg. number); One Ash-colored Corolla vehicle (no reg. number); one white Toyota Avalon (Reg. Number RBC 353 DK); one ash-colored Corolla S (no reg. number); one black colored Nissan Patrol SUV (Reg. number ABC 117 BT); one blue-colored Toyota matrix (no reg. number); one locally made Beretta pistol; one live 9mm live ammunition; seven Knives and  two ropes,” he stated.