The Nigeria Police in the Federal Capital Territory FCT has arrested 23 suspected armed robbers, including Car snatchers and other suspects for various crimes in the Territory.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu made this known while parading the suspects in Abuja.
CP Disu said the Police also recovered a total of 13 stolen cars from the robbers and the receivers, who helped them rebrand and sell off the stolen vehicles.
The Commissioner hinted that the command intensified efforts to ensure the safety and security of residents’ lives and properties in the Territory
While giving a breakdown of the suspects arrested, the Commissioner of Police said the Command’s operatives, acting on credible intelligence, trailed and arrested some of suspects who all belonged to a notorious four-man gang who specialised in armed robbery and car-snatching.
He said the gang operated within FCT, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Kano States and it was led by one Chiderbere (surname unknown), who is currently at large.
CP Disu revealed that, “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.”
The Commissioner noted that two of the suspects are ex-convicts and had 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’s undercover operatives.
The FCT Police Commissioner also said a receiver of stolen cars, was arrested after being found in possession of a Honda Accord 2006 model, ash in colour with registration Number RBC 40 NW.
The owner of the car had released the car to his mechanic, who works at Apo Mechanic Village, who absconded with the car and sold it to a buyer who stays in Jos, Plateau State.
The Police tracked the car to Rayfield Jos, Plateau State, where it was found in the possession of the buyer who confessed that he received the vehicle from his accomplice several times.
In an interview and interrogation, the buyer confessed that he specialized in receiving, rebranding and selling off stolen vehicles from his accomplices.
The buyer was arrested at his workshop, with two additional vehicles suspected to be stolen— a Hyundai Accent and a Peugeot 208—undergoing rebranding.
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