A four-man suspected “one-chance” criminal syndicate has been arrested by Police at Federal capital territory FCT in the Wuye area,Abuja.
The team equally rescued from the suspects a victim and recovered a cash sum of N200,000 on the spot.
The suspected criminals – Monday James, Ubeh Peter, both male, Precious Ofili, and Rita Nkemjika, both female, – have been linked to masterminding and perpetrating a series of vehicular robberies (one chance) and it’s related fraudulently crimes popularly known as 419, particularly in the Wuye axis and environs, have been on the Police watchlist for some time.
In a statement issued to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Josephine Adeh, the FCT Police Commissioner, Babaji Sunday was quoted as saying: “Investigation revealed that on the said date and about 11:30 am, an unsuspecting innocent resident, unfortunately, walked into their sneer. The suspects having perfectly executed their criminal enterprise forcefully pushed the female victim out of a fast-moving car and sped off.
“The surveillance team of the Wuye division, who were on routine patrol, with the help of residents rushed to her aid and gave the fleeing criminals a hot chase. The hot chase soon attracted the attention of mobs who spread the news of the arrest gathering in their numbers to unleash mayhem on the Suspects. The Police, however, tactically effected the arrest of the suspects but the pressure from the irate crowd resulted in the burning of the operational vehicle of the suspects before the Police could move it down to the station.
In the light of the above, preliminary investigation has commenced. The suspects have revealed to the Police their modus operandi and how they have been in the criminal venture for over five years.
“Furthermore, to ensure that members of the public are aware of the existence and activities of these criminal elements, it is important to expose their age-long modus operandi as follows; An unsuspecting passenger is first picked along the road. The passenger is then physically evaluated to see if valuables could be collected, otherwise, they harsh a plan B to play on the greed and innocence of the victim by saying a huge amount of money is in the boot and needs spiritual intervention for cleansing. The suspect is promised part of the money only if he or she can provide enough money to secure the services of a spiritualist. To believe this is falling victim to the miscreants,” he stated.
Babaji while reiterating the need for road users to board vehicles only at un-isolated and approved motor parks, noted that the anti-one-chance-unit of the command and other similar sections across the Command have been beefed up to ensure that the menace and sundry crimes and criminality are nipped in the bud
He also stressed the need for members of the public to shun the practice of self-help in obtaining justice known as jungle justice. He assured that the suspects will be made to face the full wrath of the law on the conclusion of the investigations.