Police arrest 40 suspects over robbery, kidnapping in Abuja

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The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested 40 suspects in separate operations for alleged traffic robbery, armed robbery, kidnapping and various traffic offences in the territory.

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The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Ahmed Sanusi, disclosed this on Wednesday during a press briefing at the command headquarters in Abuja.

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Sanusi said the arrests followed a review of crime patterns across the FCT as part of efforts to tackle incidents of armed robbery, stolen vehicles and other criminal activities.

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He said, “In order to effectively tackle crime and criminality, especially incidents of stolen vehicles and armed robbery within the Federal Capital Territory, we went back to our drawing board where we undertook a detailed review of the crime patterns within the FCT.”

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Giving a breakdown of the arrests, the CP said 10 suspects were arrested for alleged traffic robbery, while 20 others were apprehended for various traffic offences.

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He said the traffic robbery suspects were arrested following complaints about criminals who allegedly disguised themselves as hawkers along congested roads and traffic stops.

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“So far, we have arrested ten traffic robbery suspects,” Sanusi said, adding that the suspects were in custody undergoing investigation.

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The commissioner said the command also arrested 20 persons for traffic offences, particularly driving against traffic, popularly known as one-way.

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“So far, we have arrested twenty (20) suspects for various traffic offences and they were all immediately charged to court,” he said.

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On armed robbery, Sanusi said two suspects were arrested in connection with robbery incidents in Nyanya and Kubwa.

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According to him, one of the suspects, 32-year-old Ismail Tasiu, was trailed to a hotel in Jabi, where he was arrested alongside 35-year-old Adamu Aliyu, who was allegedly identified as a receiver of stolen property.

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The CP said five motorcycles, three knives, a licence plate and a face cap bearing the inscription “Kaduna State Vigilante Service” were recovered from the suspects.

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He said, “All exhibits and suspects are in custody and will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.”

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Sanusi further disclosed that two suspects were arrested over the kidnapping of three residents of Nyanya.

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He said the victims were taken to New-Nyanya, Nasarawa State, where they were held hostage before police operatives arrested Godwin Afekhide and Aaron Ogbu, who were allegedly linked to the crime.

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“All three victims were rescued unharmed and reunited with their family,” he said.

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The commissioner also disclosed that six other suspects were arrested on July 28 by operatives of the command’s Violent Crime Response Unit Team 1.

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He said investigations revealed that the gang allegedly specialised in breaking into houses at night, stealing valuables and stabbing victims.

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Sanusi assured residents that the command would sustain its operations against criminal elements across the territory.

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“I want to use this opportunity to assure all residents of the Federal Capital Territory that we will continue to take the fight to criminal elements wherever they operate,” he said.

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“We will identify their hideouts, disrupt their networks, recover their instruments of crime, and bring those responsible to justice,” he added.

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The CP urged residents to continue providing the police with credible information about suspicious persons and activities in their communities.

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