In a significant breakthrough, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, under the leadership of Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has arrested 23 suspects and recovered 13 vehicles as well as a range of weapons in a series of targeted operations across the territory.
The Commissioner revealed these achievements during a press briefing at the FCT Police Command Headquarters today.
CP Disu noted that these arrests are part of the Command’s intensified efforts to curb crime and ensure safety within the FCT.
Key successes from recent operations include the dismantling of several notorious criminal networks involved in armed robbery, vehicle theft, and “one chance” fraud—a form of kidnapping and extortion carried out by impersonators.
Among the operations highlighted, CP Disu detailed the arrest of three men—Aji Thomas, Amobi Ndukwe, and Amaechi Sampson—suspected members of a four-man gang responsible for car theft and armed robbery across the FCT and neighboring states.
The suspects, tracked down while attempting to sell a stolen Toyota Corolla, admitted to targeting vehicles in the Garki area. The gang’s leader, identified only as Chiderbere, remains at large, and the Command has intensified efforts to apprehend him.
In another case, police tracked a stolen Honda Accord, taken by a fraudulent mechanic, to a workshop in Jos, Plateau State. The car had been in the possession of one Joseph Abang, a known receiver and rebrander of stolen vehicles.
Two other vehicles—a Hyundai Accent and a Peugeot 208—were recovered from his workshop. Abang admitted to rebranding and selling over 16 vehicles in the past four years.
On October 21, police operatives responded to a distress call about an armed robbery at Jahi, where suspects fleeing the scene engaged officers in a gunfight.
Two suspects were neutralized, while others escaped on foot, abandoning four vehicles suspected to belong to their victims. Following a police chase, two suspects, Haruna Umar Abdullahi and Yerima Mohammed Usman, were captured, and a subsequent operation led to the arrest of additional gang members.
The gang, linked to various armed robberies within the FCT, is allegedly led by a man known as Dan Auwalu, who remains at large.
The police also cracked down on a syndicate specializing in “one chance” operations, which involve kidnapping and extorting victims while impersonating security officers.
Twelve suspects, including ringleaders Joseph John Odeh, Moses Elachi, and Mathias Agbogo, were arrested, and six operational vehicles were seized. The suspects had allegedly posed as Department of State Services (DSS) officers and extorted N400,000 and valuable mobile devices from victims en route to Abuja.
In a related operation, a violent incident involving another group of “one chance” operators saw three suspects apprehended after their leader was lynched by the public. Police intercepted remaining gang members at their hideout, and they confessed to using various disguises to defraud citizens along major FCT routes.
The FCT Police Command reiterated its commitment to intensifying its efforts to rid the city of criminal elements and ensure public safety.
All suspects are in police custody and will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations. The Commissioner assured FCT residents of the Command’s dedication to securing lives and properties in Abuja and its environs.
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