The Police Command in FCT has arrested Bunmi Samuel, mother of two, her boyfriend and 12 others over alleged various crimes including kidnapping, armed robbery and burglary in the territory.
The FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Haruna Garba, who paraded the suspects at the command headquarters on Thursday in Abuja, said the suspects were arrested at different locations in the territory.
Garba said that various assorted weapons, vehicles, laptops, phones, musical instruments among others were recovered from the suspects.
According to him, 36 years old Bunmi Samuel was arrested along with his boyfriend who specialised in snatching GSM Phones from innocent commuters.
“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 golden wrist watch from the suspects,” he said.
He said that the police operatives in collaboration with the vigilante also arrested five suspects namely, Bernard Francis, Felix Benjamín, Peter Benjamin, Helen Sylvester, and Hamza Haruna over alleged involvement in kidnapping of a minor.
According to him, police also arrested 26 years 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
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 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 Aug.30 and Aug. 31, 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.
“The modus operandi of these drivers is that they use the vehicle to convey unsuspecting passengers and midway to their destination, they 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.
He said that police also arrested 38 years old Mustapha Kyari, who specialised in vandalising manholes in the city
He was subsequently arrested and three manholes recovered from him. He, however, confessed to the crime and that of his accomplice by name Abba.
“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,” he said.
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 SCID also arrested one Musa Matins suspected to be an armed robber at Durumi Area.
“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,” he said.
Garba said that a Toyota Camry 2018 model with reg no: KRD411HT (Lagos state) stolen from Port Harcourt on Sept. 3 was also recovered on Wednesday.
“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,” he said.
He said that the suspects would be charged to Court at the conclusion of investigation.