FCT Police Crack Down on Vehicle Thieves, Recover 3 Cars, Arrest Couple, 6 Others

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command says it has recovered three stolen vehicles and arrested eight suspects, including a couple who are members of a car theft syndicate.

In a statement sent to Persecondnews on Tuesday, the command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh said the arrests followed separate investigations by operatives of the “Scorpion Squad” and other units of the command.

The statement reads: “On April 19, police operatives arrested one Yusuf Yunusa in connection with the theft of a gold Toyota Corolla (Reg. No. ABC 570 FJ) from the Federal Secretariat. Further investigations led to the arrest of his wife, Blessing Yusuf, in Kwali Area Council on April 25.

“She reportedly confessed to purchasing Toyota master keys from the Jumia online marketplace, which her husband used to steal vehicles, while she created distractions to aid the crimes.

“In a separate incident on April 28, a report by a suspicious car buyer in Life Camp led police to a black Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC E-400 (Reg. no. AAA 07 KA), later confirmed to have been stolen from Lekki, Lagos.

“Five suspects—Idris Suleiman, Isiyaku Habibu, Ganiyu Sadiq, Idowu Akintunde, and Bello Muyideen—were arrested. Investigations revealed that the car was stolen from their employer.

“Meanwhile, in another operation, police operatives from the Mabushi Division tracked a missing unregistered Toyota Hilux Adventure to Eket LGA, Akwa Ibom State. The vehicle was reported stolen by Chinwenze Chinaza, who noted that his driver, George Idung, had vanished with it.

“Acting on intelligence, officers arrested Idung while he was allegedly attempting to sell the vehicle in his hometown. The vehicle has since been recovered. All eight suspects are currently in custody and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.”

The statement added: “FCT Commissioner of Police Ajao S. Adewale has urged residents to take preventive measures such as installing tracking devices, avoiding isolated parking areas, and verifying ownership before purchasing vehicles.

“The Command also encouraged residents to report suspicious activity via its control room lines: 08032003913, 08028940883, or 08061581938.”