By Timothy Samuel
Abuja the federal capital territory of Nigeria, detained 23 suspects and two robbers shot dead.
In the Jahi neighborhood of the nation’s capital, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command has detained four armed robbers and killed two following a gunfight.
Additionally, during the operations carried out by the FCT command’s scorpion squad, no fewer than five car snatchers were taken into custody and thirteen stolen vehicles were found.
“The armed robbers opened fire on October 21 upon sighting police officers who had received a distress call about a robbery incident in the Jahi area of the FCT,” said Tunji Disu, the FCT Commissioner of Police, who paraded the suspects in Abuja on Wednesday.
He claims that two of the armed robbers were killed by the police during the gunfight, two of their vehicles were found, and two suspects—Haruna Abdullahi, 32, of Ikara LGA, Kaduna State, and Yerima Usman, 28, of Itoro LGA, Bauchi State—were taken into custody.
He said, “Upon sighting the police patrol vehicle, the suspects opened fire, and in the ensuing confrontation, two suspects were neutralised.
”Disu added that after a follow-up operation on October 23, the suspects led police operatives to arrest two additional gang members: Abba Ismail, aka Dan-Abba, and Ashiru Suleiman, who had escaped from the scene.
During interrogation, the suspects confessed to being part of a gang of armed robbers led by one Dan Auwalu, who is still at large. So far, they have carried out armed robberies in Mabushi, Jahi, and Gishiri. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining gang members,” he stated.
Disu also named the arrested car-snatching suspects to include 32-year-old Arji Thomas from Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State; Amobi Ndukwe, 40, from Awgu LGA, Enugu State; and Amaechi Sampson, 26, from Imo State.He said the trio of Thomas, Ndukwe, and Sampson are members of a notorious car-snatching gang led by one Chidiebere, who is on the run.
He claimed that when the suspects were caught, they were about to sell a blue Toyota Corolla that had been stolen and had the registration number KTW 2155D.
It’s crucial to remember that Amobi Ndukwe and Aji Thomas are both former prisoners. They acknowledged working in Garki for the previous year and a half during questioning, claiming to be responsible for multiple auto thefts in the city, Disu continued.
Disu explained how Abang was taken into custody, stating that one Philemon Olaoluwa had reported to the Central Police Station that Abdulhamid Saidu, his mechanic at the Apo Mechanic Village, had stolen his 2006 ash-colored Honda Accord, registered RBC 40, after fixing it and transporting it to Jos.
He went on to say that Abang, who admitted to being a member of a group of auto thieves active in the states of Abuja, Plateau, and Nasarawa, received the automobile from the technician, who is still at large.According to Disu, “Joseph Abang was arrested in Jos, Plateau State, after police officers from the Central Police Station conducted extensive investigations.
” He told the police during questioning that he was a member of a car-thieving gang that operated in Nasarawa State, Jos, and Abuja.
Receiving, modifying, and reselling cars that his gang members have stolen is his specialty. Two more cars, a Hyundai Accent and a Peugeot 208, that were thought to be stolen were also found on him during a search operation at his home and place of employment.
He is currently being held and will face charges in court after the inquiry is over.Disu added that while efforts were being made to apprehend the culprit, a Toyota Hilux with registration number 03A309 FG, which belonged to a man named Frank Udah and was taken by his recently hired security guard.
According to preliminary investigations, the security guard, who had only been working there for three days, stole the car on October 7, 2024, and took it to Nasarawa State, where he gave it to two other gang members who had been arrested and were awaiting trial for another crime. Disu said, “Efforts are underway to apprehend the suspect, USMAN ABUBAKAR, even though the vehicle has been recovered.”
