Operatives of the Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have arrested three impersonators of the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged “one chance” robbery.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of the FCT, Olatunji Disu, said this during a media briefing on Wednesday in Abuja. He said the three suspects along with nine others were recently arrested over “one chance” in different parts of the FCT.
“It will interest you to know that three of the suspects belong to a gang of “one chance” operators who specialise in masquerading as police and DSS officers.
“They pick up unsuspecting victims and take them to unknown locations demanding ransom for their release,” he said.
Disu said the suspects were on October 12, arrested following a complaint from one Jeremiah David and Amaka Humina at the Anti-One Chance Office.
According to him, the complainants reported that they were stopped by three men in a white coloured Toyota Camry with Registration number ABJ 221 BV while in transit from Keffi to Abuja. He said the suspects, forcefully ejected the complainants from the vehicle, claiming to be officers from the DSS on investigations.
Disu said the suspects drove the victims to an unknown destination and demanded that, they call their family members to raise money for their release. The CP said the suspects transferred the sum of ₦400,000 from the victim's accounts, using their phones. He said an iPhone 14 pro max, an iPhone 15 pro, a Samsung S20 and a Samsung S8 Plus were also, collected from the victims.
According to him, upon receipt of the complaint, police operatives from the Police Command in the FCT trailed and arrested the suspects. Disu said a total of six vehicles, suspected to be their operational vehicle and one locally made barreta pistol were recovered from the suspects.
The CP said the command, on October 30, received a report that a Golf III Saloon vehicle used by a suspected “one chance” operator was being burnt with their gang leader in the Kubwa area.
“Police operatives quickly deployed to the scene met a group of people who claimed that a gang of “one chance” operators, terrorising Kubwa area were caught around NYSC junction.
“The vehicle was set ablaze with the suspected gang leaders while three others escaped the scene into the nearby bushes.
“Police operatives launched a manhunt and arrested the other gang members who had escaped the scene at their hideout in Malaysia IDP CAMP, APO mechanic village,” he stated.
Disu said the suspects had freely confessed to being members of a notorious “one chance” syndicate led by the burnt suspects during interrogation.
The CP said the suspects had also, confessed to impersonating to be personnel of different security agencies to defraud unsuspecting citizens. He said the suspects had been operating on various routes within the FCT for the past two years, especially along AYA-Zuba Express Way.
Disu said a gold-coloured Toyota Corolla with tinted glass windows without a registration number, a blue coloured Golf III vehicle, an ash-coloured Corolla vehicle without a registration number and a white Toyota Avalon with registration number RBC 353 DK were recovered from the suspects.
He said other items recovered were an ash-coloured Corolla S without registration, a black coloured Nissan Patrol SUV with registration number ABC 117 BT, a blue coloured Toyota Matrix without registration number, one locally made Beretta pistol, one 9mm live ammunition, seven knives and two ropes.
The CP said the suspects were currently in police custody, adding that they would be charged in court upon the conclusion of the investigation.