Police Apprehend 39 Suspected Criminals, Recover N8.2m

 

The Nigeria Police, Federal Capital Command has arrested about 39 suspected criminals, whose offences include, kidnapping, armed robbery, car snatching, jungle justice; and recovered N8, 218, 660. 00 from them.

Speaking to journalists yesterday, the commissioner for Police, FCT Command, Mohammed Mustapha said some of the suspects were arrested by the command’s anti-kidnapping team, in collaboration with the Zamfara State Police Command after they had kidnapped and collected N7, 000, 000.00 (which was used as a bait) as ransom for a female victim they kidnapped from Abuja to Sokoto.

One of the alleged kidnappers, Ifeanyi Paul said, “It was one Alhaji Usman that invited us to come to Sokoto. He is a politician, and when we met him, the lady was already kidnapped. The Alhaji now asked us to go and guard her. Initially, he invited us from Onitsha to come and work for him. We thought it was a good job, we didn’t know it was this kind of job and so on our way going back, the police now arrested the three of us….names included.

“Its one man that introduced us to the Alhaji and the man said he was a good politician and today we are suffering from this. Our car had accident on the road because of over speed. We actually guarded the lady that was kidnapped for three days.”

Another suspect, Daniel Okechukwu, who was arrested with AK 47 and four handcuffs alleged  that a police officer, called Sunday, sold the gun to him.

According to him, “the officer recommended and obtained the gun for me after I was attacked by armed robbers. The gun is for game and hunting and he also advised that it was for self protection. What was written is my licence is hunting and game and I paid N450,000. 00  for it. This was last year, he sold the gun with the handcuffs so I can handcuff robbers before the police comes.

“I am not a criminal. I graduated from Scothland from Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh. I do oil and gas business and married with two kids. My wife knew about this. I was caught because I did a properties purchase which ran into issues and when I attempted to arrest my business partner with the handcuff, he called the police.”

Among the suspects paraded also included the alleged murderer of former Nigeria Ambassador to South Africa, Abubakar Yau, who claimed to be a scavenger and agreed to have robbed the deceased of N200, 000.00 and a phone before his death.