The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has reported the arrest of 1,611 suspects involved in various criminal activities, including drug trafficking, in the month of April alone. Additionally, the Command successfully recovered 21 stolen vehicles and a substantial quantity of controlled substances, including codeine and Tramadol tablets. Also recovered were 10 iPads/tablets, 14 laptops, 19 power banks, two generator sets, 10 POS machines, 15 motorcycles, 109 ATM cards, 225 tablets of Exol, 52 tablets of Diazepam, along with tools such as an axe, three scissors, a crusher, and 149 mobile phones.
Commissioner of Police for the FCT Command, CP Ajao S. Adewale, disclosed these figures during a press briefing held at the Command Headquarters on Friday. He noted that the recent increase in car theft and drug-related offenses in the FCT prompted the Command to escalate intelligence-led operations and conduct targeted raids in identified hotspots.
Ajao reported that 15 suspects were apprehended in connection with car theft, with six of the recovered vehicles already returned to their verified owners. Thirteen additional vehicles were showcased during the briefing.
In one notable case, a Toyota Camry, known as ‘pencil light,’ was intercepted in the Central Area while being driven suspiciously by one Hassan Bukar, who attempted to evade arrest. Investigations revealed that the car had been stolen from the premises of the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission. The suspect confessed to plans of selling the vehicle to a regular buyer in Kaduna State and was found in possession of master keys used for car theft.
In another incident, Daniel James reported that his Toyota Camry (2011), entrusted to a mechanic for repairs, had gone missing. Detectives traced the stolen vehicle to a buyer in Gwarinpa and arrested the intermediary, while the mechanic, Abdulazeez Auwal Salisu, remains at large.
Furthermore, a government-issued Hilux van was recovered in Kaduna after it was taken without permission by its official driver, Abubakar Sadio, who intended to sell it. An additional unregistered Hilux was also found in his possession.
The CP also disclosed that five suspects were arrested in Life Camp while attempting to sell a black Mercedes Benz 4Matic E-400, which had been stolen from its original owner in Lekki, Lagos.
