The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested Bunmi Samuel, a mother of two, her boyfriend and 12 others over various alleged crimes, including kidnapping, armed robbery and burglary.
The Command’s Commissioner, CP Haruna Garba, paraded the suspects on Thursday at the command headquarters.
He said the suspects were arrested at different locations in the territory.
Garba said various assorted weapons, vehicles, laptops, phones, musical instruments among others were recovered from the suspects.
According to him, 36-year-old Samuel was arrested along with her boyfriend who specialised in snatching mobile phones from innocent commuters.
He said: “After snatching phones, he removes the SIM cards and sells the phone, then hands over the SIM cards to his girlfriend, one Bunmi Samuel.
“The girlfriend on her part makes withdrawals of all monies from the accounts that are linked to the SIM cards.
“The police operatives have so far recovered 76 SIM cards, two Opay ATM cards and a gold wrist watch from the suspects.”
Garba said that the police operatives in collaboration with the vigilante also arrested five suspects, namely: Bernard Francis, Felix Benjami, Peter Benjamin, Helen Sylvester and Hamza Haruna over alleged involvement in the kidnapping of a minor.
According to him, police also arrested 26-year-old Kennedy Esezobor of Tudun Wada village, Lugbe, FCT, a notorious criminal and cultist, with one fabricated single barrel gun and locally fabricated AK-47 rifle
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He said the operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Command acting on actionable intelligence stormed Kabin Mongoro Forest and arrested one Mohammed Hamza, while on his way to a bandits camp bordering Nasarawa State.
“The suspect confessed to being an informant, a drug and food supplier to one Dogo,” he said.
According to him, the Command in a swift operation has between August 30 and 31, 2023 impounded six vehicles bearing both foreign and local plate numbers or with foreign number plates at the back and Nigeria number plate in front of the vehicle.
Garba said: “The modus operandi of these drivers is that they use the vehicle to convey unsuspecting passengers and midway to their destination, they are dispossessed of their handsets and other valuables.
“The moment they carry out this criminal act and to avoid being traced or linked to the crime, they quickly remove the Nigeria plate number.”
He said the police also arrested 38-year-old Mustapha Kyari, who specialised in vandalising manholes in the city.
He was subsequently arrested and three manholes recovered from him.
Kyari has confessed to the crime and that of his accomplice, Abba.
Garba said: “The police operatives while on a routine stop and search duty at Secretariat junction, Gwagwalada, intercepted a motorcycle with a passenger later identified as one Japheth Nuhu ‘m’ of behind Brown Berry Estate Phase 3 Gwagwalada.
“The said Japheth jumped down and took to his heels on sighting the Police but was given a hot chase.
“He was subsequently arrested and a Beretta pistol with four rounds of 9mm live ammunition was recovered from him.”
According to him, it is being suspected that the suspect and his accomplice at large are behind the robbery activities in Gwagwalada and its environs.
The CP said that the operatives of Anti-Violence Crime Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department also arrested one Musa Matins suspected to be an armed robber at Durumi Area.
Garba said: “In the course of investigation, the suspect confessed to having been involved in snatching and stealing of cars in and around the FCT.
“So far he has led the Police to the recovery of two Toyota Camry vehicles with registration number MAG-149 AR (Borno) and RBC-445 AS (Abuja).
“Effort is currently ongoing to trace the rightful owners of the recovered vehicles.”
Garba said a Toyota Camry 2018 model with reg no: KRD411HT (Lagos State) stolen from Port Harcourt, Rivers State on September 3 was also recovered on Wednesday
He said: “In a similar development, the operatives of anti-violence crime, while on patrol, arrested the duo of Gabriel Oliver and Emmanuel Ishaku.
“In the course of investigation, they confessed that they carried out attacks in a Redeemed Christian Church of God Bethel Centre, Galadimawa, Abuja and carted away several high definition electronic gadgets properties of the Church.
“The suspect led the police operatives to Bauchi and Plateau respectively, where the items were recovered.
“Effort is being made to arrest the co-accomplice who are on the run.”
Garba said the suspects would be charged to court at the conclusion of investigation.
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