The Nigeria Police Special Tactical Squad (STS) has smashed a two-man car stealing gang led by one Bashir Isiaku, 34, notorious for stealing cars from the car park of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Police Force, DCP Frank MBA has revealed.
The PRO explained that the arrest of Bashir, a graduate of one of the Federal Polytechnics, came after painstaking efforts and investigations by operatives of the STS to hunt down the criminals.
Bashir and his accomplice, Aminu Yakubu specialized in using customized master keys, crafted out of screwdrivers to open and start vehicle engines.
According to the PRO, Police investigations show that the criminals target cars without special security features such as pedal or steering locks. A total of twenty-one (21) vehicles have so far been recovered from the hoodlums and their criminal receivers.
The following criminal receivers have also been arrested in various parts of Northern Nigeria: in Funtua – Rilwanu Garba, Ibrahim Hassan, Kabiru Aliyu, Sikiru Danjuma, Bashir Abba; in Sokoto – Dodo Danbello, Mudeen Adelera, Nasiru Bello, Hassan Bawa; in Kucheri – Magazine Garba; in Tsafe – Yushehu Abdullahi; in Gusau – Abdurazaq Adekoya; and in Marafa – Kabiru Aliyu.
The recovered vehicles comprise 2 Opel Vectra, 1 Toyota Camry, 1 Honda CRV, 2 Toyota Carinae, 7 Golf-3, 1 Toyota Corolla, 6 Honda Civic and 1 Toyota Avensis. The suspects claimed that they found it easy to steal in JUTH due to the lax security at JUTH premises.
Police investigations reveal that their choice cars are Toyota products, Honda products, and Volkswagen especially the Golf brand because these brands of cars are in high demand by criminal receivers, either in whole or in parts across the country and other neighboring countries.
In the light of this, the Police Force calls on members of the public whose cars were stolen between January 2019 and March 2020, within the premises of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) to come forward for possible identification and recovery, while enjoining Nigerians to take extra precautionary measures to secure their cars by utilizing special security features such as steering or pedal locks, tracking systems, etc.
In the same vein, institutions and organizations are encouraged to beef up security and access control within and around their premises to minimize the possibility of theft and other mischief by criminals.
In a related development , a 28 year old female armourer, Fatima Garba has been arrested alongside her gang of kidnappers and armed robbers, notorious for attacking innocent Nigerians around Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna and Niger States.
As an armourer, Fatima was responsible for ensuring the safety of the weapons used by the gang whenever not in use. Fatima, who confessed to being the gang’s armourer for over a year, claimed she receives a handsome reward each time the weapons were returned to her after each operation.
She also claimed to know that the arms which she usually kept in a neatly dug hole in her compound were used for robberies, kidnapping and other criminal purposes.
DCP Mba said investigations reveal that Fatima, who is a trader and single mother of two was recruited by her boyfriend Abubakar Usman. Other members of the gang include: Samaila Usman ‘m’ 28, Mohammed Ibrahim ‘m’ 30, Mohammed Agali ‘m’ 22, Dahiru Bello ‘m’ 33, Shamsu Mohammed ‘m’ 30, Mohammed Usman ‘m’ 37, Umar Abdullahi ‘m’ 33, Buhari Abubakar ‘m’ 33 and Abubakar Garba ‘m’ 37. They are said to have made not less than twelve million naira from their various criminal escapades.
The following were recovered from the gang: 5 AK47 rifles, 1 G3 rifle, 1 Berretta pistol, 1476 rounds of ammunition, 36 rounds of G3 ammunition, 6 AK47 magazines, 1 operational vehicle, 8 mobile phones and a box containing operational tools. All the suspects will be charged to court at the conclusion of investigations.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP M.A. Adamu, NPM, mni assures Nigerians of the continued commitment of the Force to the protection of lives and property and to rid the country of crime and criminality especially during this lockdown period.
