- Safiu Kehinde
The Nigeria Police Force has nabbed three armed robbery suspects with 10 stolen vehicles recovered in Kaduna State.
This was disclosed is in a statement issued on Froday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Placid.
In what was considered a major operational brrakthrough, the armed robbery syndicate were apprehended on the 16th of March by the Force Intelligence Department – Special Tactical Squad (FID-STS).
The suspects were identified as Abubakar Musa (36), Hassan Umar (30), and Joshua Raphael (20).
According to Placid, preliminary investigations identifed Musa as the principal suspect and leader of the syndicate who specialises in theft and movement of stolen vehicles.
“Musa is a dismissed Corporal of the Nigerian Army who has been impersonating a serving soldier to evade detection while carrying out armed robbery operations with his accomplices.
“Further findings indicate that the syndicate specialized in the theft and movement of stolen vehicles, often removing or altering registration details to conceal their identity and ownership.” The Force spokesperson said.
The operation led to the recovery of 10 vehicles of various brands, including Toyota Hilux trucks, Toyota Corolla cars, a Pontiac Vibe GT, a Honda vehicle, a Lexus car, and a Toyota RAV4 SUV, with several of the vehicles found without registration numbers.
Investigations are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate and recover additional exhibits.
Reacting to the development, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, commended the operatives for their professionalism.
The IGP, according to Placid, reiterated the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to combating criminal activities and ensuring the safety of lives and property.