In a significant law enforcement operation, the Nigeria Police Force has apprehended a total of 1,284 suspects over the last six weeks. These arrests were made in connection with armed robbery, kidnapping, homicide, rape, defilement, and cultism.
On Friday, Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, paraded 35 of these suspects at a press briefing in Abuja. The exhibits presented included one AK-49 rifle with its magazine, a sledgehammer, a car jack, two chisels, a small hammer, and a Hiace bus.
“In the last six weeks, the Nigeria Police Force has arrested 307 armed robbery suspects, 296 kidnapping suspects, 301 homicide suspects, 176 rape/defilement suspects, and 204 suspected cultists. We have recovered 284 firearms, 6,702 rounds of ammunition of various calibers, 107 vehicles, and rescued 97 victims,” Adejobi stated.
Detailing the items recovered, Adejobi continued, “Today, we are presenting a total number of 35 suspects apprehended for various offences. The items recovered include one AK-49 rifle with a magazine, a sledgehammer, a car jack, two chisels, a small hammer, and one Hiace bus. Similar operations to mop up illegal arms and ammunition in circulation across the country led to the recovery of four AK-47 rifles, five magazines, and 107 rounds of live ammunition of various calibers.”
The names of some of the paraded suspects include Suleiman Mohammed, Jerry Irimiya, Abubakar Salisu, Adam Mohammed, Zaidu Inusa, Abdulateef Abdulganiyu, Nankap Nimsak, Zaharadeen Abdulkarim, Nuhu Hassan, Musa Mohammed, Muntari Kabir, Lawal Yusuf, Ali Abdulrahman, Zakari Saidu, Mustapha Usman, and Nasiru Abba.
According to Adejobi, these suspects were part of a notorious syndicate specializing in the theft and robbery of motorcycles and tricycles. “They are particularly involved in moving around at late night and picking up any tricycle they see parked without supervision.
They also move around, stopping motorcyclists they see on the road, parading themselves as police officers with fake ID cards, and accusing the motorists of late-night movements. They then proceed to confiscate the bikes, instructing the owners to go to the nearest police division to retrieve them. So far, they have stolen several motorcycles, which they have given to the receiving group in their syndicate,” Adejobi explained.
