…As Police Parade 11 One-Chance Suspects In Abuja, Impound 296 Vehicles
On Tuesday, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command paraded a dismissed policeman arrested for vandalising public infrastructure worth about N25m.
The dismissed officer, David Maji, and his accomplice, Awal Mustafa, were arrested at about 3:49 am on November 29 after distress calls from residents staying behind the Foreign Affairs Office area of Abuja.
The suspects were among 16 others paraded by the FCT Police Commissioner, Tunji Disu, on Tuesday.
Briefing the press in Abuja, Disu said the suspects were caught vandalising varying sizes of streetlight poles and cables, subsequently recovered by police operatives.
“The stolen streetlight cables, property of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCTA), were estimated to be worth between N20 million and N25 million,” Disu said.
The police noted that both suspects are currently in custody and undergoing investigation.
Similarly, police operatives paraded one Emmanuel Linus, a dismissed soldier, who was arrested dressed in a Nigerian Army camouflage.
Upon arrest and interrogation, the police said the suspect presented a fake military identification card showing December 20, 2024, as his date of birth.
Disu said the date raised suspicion, and further led to new findings that revealed that “Linus is allegedly a member of a criminal syndicate specializing in defrauding unsuspecting victims.”
The CP added that the group reportedly purchases goods and services using fake bank alerts to deceive sellers.
The police noted that the investigation had commenced with efforts to identify and apprehend other members of the syndicate.
Other suspects paraded on Tuesday include one-chance suspects, with no fewer than five incidents foiled by police operatives.
“Also, our operations have successfully foiled five (5) ‘One Chance’ robbery operations, rescuing three (3) victims who were abducted by these criminal elements,” Disu said.
He said, “As I earlier mentioned, the Command recently declared war against one-chance robbers and other criminal gangs in the FCT.
“Following this announcement, and in line with my directive, on November 23, 2024, at approximately 1:00 pm operatives from the State Intelligence Department (SID) apprehended one Ibrahim Kabiru.”
Kabiru, according to the command, was arrested during routine patrol along Ahmadu Bello Way.
“Suspicious circumstances surrounding his parked vehicle prompted a search, revealing:
One Point-of-Sale (POS) machine, knife, Scissors, Two mobile phones, and Female luggage suspected to be stolen.
“Upon interrogation, Kabiru failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the items, raising concerns about his involvement in
‘One Chance’ robberies” the CP noted.
The Command further recalled how its operatives rescued a pregnant woman, Doris Gabriel and arrested another one-chance suspect on November 28.
The incident followed a distress call reporting an ongoing robbery along Idu Industrial Area Road involving the suspect, Ikechukwu Ngerem.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that Doris had been abducted on her way home from Federal Medical Center Jabi by a gang posing as commercial vehicle operators,” Disu said.
Also on December 2, police operatives apprehended two suspects, Isa Muhammed and Musa Abdullahi near Wuse Zone 4 bridge.
“The duo confessed to belonging to a syndicate that uses knives and machetes to rob victims at traffic points and bus stops.
“Efforts are ongoing to track and arrest other gang members, including Dan Kuka, Biggy, Musa Yahaya, and Mutallab who are currently at large,” Disu noted.
The CP thereafter revealed that the command impounded 296 vehicles for violations such as the use of tinted glasses, driving with only one plate number, and the use of concealed or defaced number plates.
The CP urged FCT residents to remain vigilant, especially when boarding commercial vehicles.
“The public is also encouraged to report suspicious activities promptly to the nearest police station or through established emergency channels. Together, we can combat crime and safeguard our communities,” he said.
Dismissed Soldier, Policeman Arrested For Fraud, Vandalism is first published on The Whistler Newspaper