By Anne Osemekeh, Abuja
Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have busted a car theft syndicate that specialises in stealing vehicles from Abuja and selling them in Lagos State.
While parading the suspects on Monday, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igweh, disclosed that luck ran out on the gang when a friend to one of their victims whose car was stolen in Abuja travelled to Lagos for an engagement only to see the stolen car of his friend at a car stand, put up for sale.
Igweh said, he subsequently alerted the victim to come to Lagos and check the car. On getting to Lagos, he confirmed the car to be his stolen Toyota Camry and informed the FCT Police.
According to the CP, police detectives deployed to the scene discovered that the original Chasis of the stolen car had been changed. The car was recovered and criminals arrested.
Igweh further disclosed that the two notorious car theft suspects, Anthony Chibuzor and his friend Jonas Chikwe, both males of Lagos State, have been on the wanted list of the command.
The FCT Police Chief also revealed that Police operatives from Maitama Division, while on routine Patrol along Nicon Junction, “on April 7, 2024, at about 10:30pm, heard a loud cry and swiftly mobilised to the location, where they found a victim of an armed robbery (one chance) incident, pushed out of a vehicle”, having been dispossessed of all her belongings.
“In response to this, the police operatives gave the hoodlums a hot chase forcing them to abandon their vehicle and take to their heels. Information recovered from the vehicle led police operatives to the arrest of four suspects, namely Hamza Ibrahim, Mubarak Abubakar, Abubakar Suleiman and Mohammed Lawal”.
The police boss said the suspects who freely confessed to the crime will be charged to court soon.
