The FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Haruna G Garba today 24th January,2024 in Press briefing held at FCT Police Command,Abuja gave update on the steps the Command has taken to safeguard the lives and properties of the residents of FCT.
The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun had on 17th January, 2024 launched Special Intervention Squad (SIS) at Force Headquarters, Abuja to curb the menace of kidnapping and armed banditry and other sundry crimes in the Federal Capital Territory.
CP Haruna Garba said the launch of this special squad has yielded positive results as all the identified bandit’s routes especially in Bwari Area Council has been blocked by the Police thereby denying them access into the FCT via Niger, Kaduna and Nasarawa States. Since then, no case of kidnapping has been recorded in that axis.
He further explained that many kidnapping and armed robbery suspects have been arrested and victims rescued, while several arms and live ammunitions and vehicles taken away from victims have been recovered.
The following are the synopsis of some of the successes recorded by the command;
ARREST OF ARMED ROBBERY/KIDNAPPING SUSPECT
On 17/01/2024 at about 19000hrs, the complainant/victim, Segun Akinyemi of No 10 Birnin Kebbi street, Garki 2 Abuja, was abducted in front of his house while driving out with his gray colored Hilux Van with Reg. No. RBC 90 DL by four (4) armed men who laid siege in a white Mercedez Benz 230 car. The FCT police command via the control room alerted the patrol teams and men on the entry/exit points for rescue of the victim and arrest of the suspects. The CP FCT placed a call to his counterparts in the contiguous states especially Kaduna. This contact paid off as police operatives in Kaduna intercepted the armed hoodlums at a filling station in Kawo, Kaduna State. There was an exchange of fire between the police operatives and the kidnappers. That while three of them escaped, one of the suspect later identified as Chinaza Philip Okoye was arrested. Three (3) English pistols with fifteen (15) rounds of live ammunition and the said Hilux Van were recovered from him. The victim who was in the vehicle was rescued unhurt. Preliminary investigation revealed that two out of four (4) armed men are Abuja-based; Chinaza Philip Okoye Michael and one Chidibere. It was also discovered that Chinaza Philip Okoye Michael and his accomplices had earlier been arrested, sometimes in November 2023, for armed robbery, and a snatched Honda car was recovered from them. He and his accomplices were arraigned before a High Court Judge in Kwali, Abuja, but were granted court bail, only for the suspects to get involved in this particular kidnapping case.
2.ARREST OF SUSPECT/RESCUE OF KIDNAPPED VICTIM
On 18/01/2024 at about 2245hrs, the DPO Iddo division received a distress call that some armed bandits in a black colored Toyota Corolla fired the tyres of a moving Prado Jeep of one male adult later identified as Suleiman Sabo ‘m’ on his way home in Sabon Lugbe, thereby forcing him to stop. He was whisked away in the kidnappers’ vehicle to an unknown location, leaving behind his Prado Jeep and his wife. The police operatives from Iddo Division and the Anti-Kidnapping unit of the Command made a concerted effort to have the victim rescued and suspects arrested.
The effort paid off on 21/01/2024 when the DPO received information that something abnormal is happening in a particular house at Sauka village. The DPO moved in and cordoned the house, behold the kidnapped victim was found with one Mohammed Abel armed with Mark IV riffle and ten (10) rounds of live ammunition. He was promptly arrested and the arm recovered from him. The victim was rescued but with gunshot injuries. He is currently on admission at NAF hospital, Airport road, Abuja receiving treatment and in a stable condition.
3. FAKE KIDNAPPING ALARM IN RIVER PARK ESTATE
On 20/01/2024 at about 1007hrs, DPO River Park Division Received a distress call from one Davison Henry ‘M’ River Park Estate that, his uncle one Nnamdi Agu ‘M’ of Games village Estate was not seen for two (2) days and he received a phone call from a strange number asking him to bring money if he want his uncle to be released. In the process, he lured the caller to River Part Estate to collect money in order to facilitate the release. Meanwhile, report has been made before the police where upon the police operatives laid siege, waiting for them to come for the ransom.
In less than two hours, one Adamu Abubakar and Bello Hassan all Males of IDP Camp Durumi emerged in a Toyota Corolla car with Reg. NO KMC 170 TT and were promptly arrested.
In the course of investigation, it was gathered that Nnadi Agu was never kidnapped at all. He faked his own kidnap to extort money from his brother, the complainant. The said Nnadi Agu had in previous day taken a call girl by name Lilian Arisa ‘F’ of No. 8 Koforidua Street Wuse zone 2 to a hotel for sexual purpose. He bargained to pay the girl the sum of thirty five thousand naira (#35,000), the girl paid twenty thousand
(#20,000) hotel accommodation and ten thousand (#10,000) for the Uber driver (Adamu Abubakar) in order to get money to defray this debt he came up with the idea of him being kidnapped.
The sad thing about this was that, his brother the complainant had gone on social media to tell members of the public that his brother was kidnapped in Abuja, which in fact, is not true.
This same suspect had sometimes in 2021 alleged that he was kidnapped in the Eastern part of Nigeria where a ransom of three million naira (N3,000,000.00) was paid.
4.ARREST OF ARMED ROBBERY SUSPECT
On 21/01/2024 at about 2230hrs, three armed hoodlums who specialize in handset and handbag snatching accosted a woman, Elvin Okolie of Durumi village while waiting to board a taxi cab at Area 1 roundabout. The hoodlums while armed with a machete on top of motorcycle snatched the woman handbag and speed up with their motorcycle, while the woman shouted for help. Luckily, police from Durumi police station on stop and search stopped the motorcycle and arrested one Musa Abdullahi ‘M’ of no fixed address with a machete stained with blood while his two other accomplices escaped. The injured victim is receiving treatment at National Hospital, Abuja but in a stable condition. The suspect in custody is assisting the police to apprehend two of his accomplices on the run.
5. ATTEMPTED CAR THEFT/ARREST OF SUSPECT: On 21/01/2024 at about 1630hrs, police operatives from Life Camp Division on routine surveillance patrol intercepted one Damilola Akeredolu ‘M’ inside a Toyota corolla car with reg. No. RSH 144 RD, ash in colour belonging to one Blessing Aigbagboga ‘F’ of Efab Global Estate Life Camp which she parked in front of her residence. Further enquiry revealed that, suspect was not the owner of the said vehicle but gained access into it with intention to steal the vehicle. Suspect is currently undergoing interrogation and will be charged to court at the conclusion of investigations.
In addition,the Commissioner of Police informed the general public that several heinous crimes have been prevented by the police Command without people knowing.
“It is when it does over that people get to know about it. The Command is always committed and willing to work with you (residents of the FCT) to defeat crime and criminality in all its forms in the Federal Capital Territory. What we need most is your understanding and cooperation”the CP added.
