By Monday Ijeh
The Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Thursday said it arrested five suspected informants to kidnappers terrorising communities in Abaji Area Council and environs.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of the command, Mr Bala Ciroma, disclosed this during a news conference in Abuja.
He said that the five suspects had made useful information to the police to facilitate the arrest of their cohorts.
The commissioner said the arrest of the five suspects was in line with the commitment of the command to tackle cases of kidnapping in the area.
In a related development, Ciroma said that police operatives from the command’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) arrested six members of a notorious robbery gang.
He said members of the gang who specialized in transferring money through bank accounts linked to their victims’ SIM cards were arrested in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
Ciroma said that the bank accounts used as destination accounts where proceeds of the crime were lodged were bank accounts created by the syndicates for unsuspecting persons whose SIM cards were picked from the streets.
“When such accounts are opened, the leader of the syndicates takes custody of the ATM cards.
“The leader uses same to withdraw all money transferred into the account from victims whose accounts have been hacked,” he said.
He said the exhibits recovered from the suspects are 13 mobile phones, 55 SIM cards and six ATM cards.
The commissioner said that operatives from the command also on July 30, arrested a 40 year-old man allegedly involved in running a gun fabrication outlet in Kulo village of Abaji Area Council.
He said that the arrest of the suspect was in furtherance to an ongoing investigation into the source of two guns recovered from two suspects arrested over a robbery operation.
Ciroma disclosed that two brothers who supplied charms used by the suspects to carry out robbery operations were also arrested.
According to him, the exhibits recovered from the suspects include seven locally fabricated single barrel guns, charms, four barrels and some blacksmith tools.
The CP said that men of the command also arrested three men in connection with alleged possession of a Toyota Camry Car reported stolen in Kebbi.
He said that the suspects would soon be handed over to Kebbi State Police Command for continuation of investigations.
The commissioner said that other suspects arrested by the command would be arraigned in court upon completion of investigation.
