The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has dismantled a major car-snatching syndicate operating across Abuja and neighbouring states, arresting four suspected members and recovering six stolen vehicles along with more than ₦15 million in cash.
The arrests followed a series of coordinated operations carried out by the Gwagwalada and Mabushi Divisions and the Command’s elite Scorpion Squad, according to a statement released on Wednesday by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh.
Adeh identified the suspects as ex-convict Dalhatu Bashiru, Nwadigo Emmanuel, Uchenna Kalu, and Alhaji Jazuli Adamu. She described Adamu as the gang’s principal receiver of stolen vehicles. He was arrested in Fagge Local Government Area of Kano State after operatives traced him across state lines, recovering ₦15,280,000 allegedly earmarked for the purchase of another batch of stolen cars.
According to the police, intelligence-led surveillance and digital forensic reconstruction played a critical role in tracking the syndicate, which had been linked to multiple car thefts across Abuja.
Among the vehicles recovered were a black Toyota Prado SUV, a grey Kia Optima, three Toyota Corolla saloons, and an ash-coloured Toyota Camry. The vehicles were recovered from various locations during the multi-unit operation.
Preliminary investigations, Adeh said, revealed that Adamu operated closely with an accomplice, identified as Alhaji Abdulkarim Gabeida Ibrahim, a Nigerien national believed to coordinate the illegal export and resale of stolen vehicles in the Niger Republic. Ibrahim is currently on the run.
The police noted that the syndicate forms part of a wider criminal network responsible for moving stolen vehicles out of the FCT into neighbouring countries, a trend that has intensified security concerns within the Territory and its satellite towns.
READ ALSO: FCT Police Clamp Down on Fireworks Ahead of Yuletide Festivities
Adeh said the latest breakthrough reflects the Command’s renewed push to dismantle organised criminal groups through intelligence-driven operations, adding that efforts are underway to apprehend additional suspects connected to the network.
“All suspects and recovered exhibits are in police custody as investigations continue to track down other fleeing members of the gang,” she said.
The FCT Police Command urged residents to continue providing credible information to law enforcement agencies as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen security across the Territory.