Police smash carjacking syndicate, arrest armourer of kidnap gang
The Nigeria Police Special Tactical Squad (STS) has smashed a two-man car-jacking gang in Jos, Plateau State.
The gang led by one Bashir Isiaku, aged 34, is notorious for stealing cars from the car park of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH). The arrest of Bashir, a graduate of one of the Federal Polytechnics, came after painstaking efforts and investigations by operatives of the STS to hunt down the criminals. Bashir and his accomplice, Aminu Yakubu specialized in using a customized master key, crafted out of screwdriver to open and start vehicles.
Police investigations show that their choice of cars are the ones without special security features such as pedal or steering locks. A total of twenty-one vehicles have so far been recovered from the hoodlums with 13 buyers of the vehicles arrested in different parts of the north.
According to Frank Mbah, spokesman of the Police the vehicles recovered include, two Opel Vectra, one Toyota Camry, one Honda CRV, two Toyota Carinae, seven Golf-3, one Toyota Corolla, sixHonda Civic and one Toyota Avensis. Mbah said the suspects upon interrogation claimed that they found it easy to steal in JUTH due to the lax security within its premises. They revealed that their preferred cars are Toyota, Honda, and Volkswagen brands especially the Golf brand because they are in high demand by criminal receivers, either in whole or in parts across the country and neighbouring countries.
Mbah advised members of the public whose cars were stolen between January 2019 and March 2020, within the premises of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) to come forward for possible identification and recovery. He enjoined to take extra measures to secure their cars by utilizing special security features such as steering or pedal locks, tracking systems, etc.
He also appealed to institutions and organizations to enhance security and access control within their premises to minimize the possibility of theft and other mischief by criminals.
In a related development, a 28 year-old female armourer, Fatima Garba has been arrested alongside her gang of kidnappers and armed robbers, notorious for attacking innocent Nigerians around Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna and Niger States.
As an armourer, Fatima was responsible for ensuring the safety of the weapons used by the gang whenever not in use. Fatima, who confessed to being the gang’s armourer for over a year, claimed to receive a handsome reward each time the weapons were returned to her after each operation. She acknowledged knowing that the arms which she usually kept in a neatly dug hole in her compound were used for robberies, kidnapping, and other criminal purposes.
Investigations show that Fatima, who is a trader and single mother of two was recruited by her boyfriend Abubakar Usman. Other members of the gang include: Samaila Usman, aged 28, Mohammed Ibrahim, 30, Mohammed Agali, 22, Dahiru Bello, 33, Shamsu Mohammed, 30, Mohammed Usman, 37, Umar Abdullahi, 33, Buhari Abubakar, 33 and Abubakar Garba, 37. Since they began operations, the gang is estimated to have made over twelve million naira from their various criminal escapades. Weapons recovered from the gang includes, five AK47 rifles, one G3 rifle, a Berretta pistol, 1476 rounds of ammunition, 36 rounds of G3 ammunition, six AK47 magazines, one operational vehicle, eight mobile phones and a box containing operational tools.
Mbah said the suspects will be charged to court at the conclusion of investigations.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu has assured Nigerians of the continued commitment of the Force to the protection of lives and property and rid the country of crime and criminality especially during the period of lockdown.
