Police arrests dismissed soldier, 2 other robbery suspects, recovers 10 vehicles

The Nigeria Police Force on Friday said it has arrested three notorious armed robbery suspects in Kaduna State.

Anthony Placid, the Force Public Relations Officer in a statement said the suspects were arrested through the Force Intelligence Department – Special Tactical Squad (FID-STS).

According to Placid, the suspects – Abubakar Musa (36), Hassan Umar (30), and Joshua Raphael (20) – were arrested during a major operational breakthrough on March 16.

The force spokesperson said Musa, the principal suspect, is a dismissed Corporal of the Nigerian Army who has been impersonating a serving soldier to evade detection while carrying out armed robbery operations with his accomplices.

“Further findings indicate that the syndicate specialised in the theft and movement of stolen vehicles, often removing or altering registration details to conceal their identity and ownership.

“The operation led to the recovery of ten (10) vehicles of various brands, including Toyota Hilux trucks, Toyota Corolla cars, a Pontiac Vibe GT, a Honda vehicle, a Lexus car, and a Toyota RAV4 SUV, with several of the vehicles found without registration numbers.

“Investigations are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate and recover additional exhibits,” Placid said.

He also noted that the Inspector General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu while commending the operatives said their committment to the Force and professionalism is a driving force in securing the lives and property of citizens across the country.