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Tag: car snatching

  • Cripple, seven others arrested for kidnapping, robbery

    Cripple, seven others arrested for kidnapping, robbery

    The Police have arrested a cripple and seven others for their alleged involvement in kidnapping, armed robbery, car snatching and other criminal activities.

    The suspects paraded include; Umaru Ibrahim Mujuma, Jibrin Adamu, Samaila Haruna, Ibrahim Mohammed, Ibrahim Idris, Iliya Adamu,  Ifeanyi  Linus, Silas Kelvin and Kamilu Mohammed.

    The police claimed that the Cripple, Kamilu Mohammed, serves as the informant to the Kidnappers.

    The group were said to be responsible for the murder of a youth leader; Haruna Maikudi Maikaji who was killed in his farm at Sabon Gayan Village in Kaduna State on Sunday.

    Items recovered from them include; One AK47 rifle, one locally made revolver pistol, two single barrel locally made gun, seven rounds of AK47 ammunition, one round of live cartridges  and two Toyota Corolla Vehicles.

    A statement in Abuja Tuesday by the Force Spokesman CSP Jimoh Moshood reads: “In the course of investigation into the killing and the operation embarked by personnel of Operation Absolute Sanity in Sabon Gayan Village and environs to root out and arrest the killers of the Youth Leader, the Special Tactical Squad team attached to Operation Absolute Sanity on trail of the killers, were ambushed and attacked by the gang responsible for the killing of the Youth Leader.

    “The information to the Gang was traced to a Cripple, Kamilu Mohammed who phoned the Kidnappers to inform them that the Police are on their way to their hideout in the forest.

    “The Special Tactical Squad personnel attached to Operation Absolute Sanity repelled the attack and in the process, two of the suspected kidnappers died as a result of the superior fire power of the Police personnel.

    “The Cripple Kamilu Mohammed was later arrested and currently under investigation”.

    The police also noted that a Sergeant sustained injury and currently receiving treatment in the hospital.

    Moshood added that the suspects would be arraigned on completion of investigation into the cases against them.

  • Police parades 16 for robbery, kidnapping, car snatching

    Police parades 16 for robbery, kidnapping, car snatching

    The Police Thursday paraded 16 suspect for their involvement in kidnapping, armed robbery and car snatching.

    The police said the suspects belong to four different gangs adding that they terrorise innocent motorists on Abuja-Kaduna, Abuja – Minna – Bida, Birnin Gwari – Funtua, and Abuja – Lokoja highways.

    The police also said some of the suspects use military uniforms as bait to get their victims.

    The suspects who were paraded in Sabon Wuse,  Niger State include: “Abdulkareem Isah, Mohammed Mustapha, Yunusa Mohammed, Ahmadu Musa, Bashir Yero, Abdullahi Mohammed, Tanko Isah, Usman Adamu.

    Others are: “Yakubu Suleiman, Usman Ibrahim, Ahmed Suleiman, Isah Suleiman, Abdulmalik Sadiq, Usman Bawa, Sani Ahmed, and Alex Egor.

    Some of the suspects were also said to be responsible for the murder of a policeman.

    Items recovered from them include two AK47 riffles, one  SMG OFN Mode 12 gun, one locally-made revolver pistol, three pump action guns, two berretta pistol, one air rifle, 85 rounds of 7.62X39mm ammunition, 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 6 rounds of 380 Auto.

    Other items are: “Three live cartridges, five AK47 magazines, one fabricated master key, two Toyota Corolla car, one Toyota Muscle car, one technology phone,  two pairs of military camouflage uniform and a box of fake dollar currency.

    Speaking during the parade, the Force Spokesman CSP Jimoh Moshood said: “On 6th of November, 2017, after a sustained surveillance and raid of the criminal hideouts and kidnappers den by the men of Operation Absolute Sanity comprising the Special Tactical Squad (STS), Police Mobile Force (PMF), Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) raided identified kidnappers dens, camps, armed robbers and Car Snatchers in their camps, Black spots and Criminal hideouts in the forests located in the FCT, Niger and Kaduna States.

    “They successfully smashed four vicious and notorious gangs in the process arrested 16 suspects in the act of kidnapping and collection of ransom, car snatching and armed robbery.

    “All the suspects arrested confessed to the crime and admitted to the various roles they played in the commission of these capital offences.

    “They will be arraigned in Court on completion of investigation. Investigation is being intensified to arrest other suspects at large.”

    As part of preparations for the festive period, Moshood also noted that the IG has directed Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGs) and Commissioners of Police (CPs) in the zones and State commands across the country to beef up security in their area.

    “They are to ensure massive deployment of Armed Police Personnel, Patrol Teams and undercover operatives to black spots, flash points and other vulnerable criminal spots to nip in the bud all forms of crimes and criminality nationwide throughout this period to the upcoming Christmas and New Year festivities and beyond.

    “They are also to make sure that detection of crimes that couldn’t be prevented is prompt to serve as effective deterrent to who-will-be criminal.”

  • Police arrest dismissed naval officers for car snatching in Abia

    The Abia State Police Command has announced the arrest of six persons allegedly identified as members of a secret cult in Abia State.

        The command has also arrested some dismissed naval officers as members of a car-snatching syndicate in Aba, the commercial hub of the state, and its environs.

    In a press release issued by the stae’s police command, a copy of which was obtained by The Nation, Item Paul Obinna, Ndiukwu Kosisochukwu, Prince Anyadike, Israel Chinazaekpere, Ifeanyi Chimezie and Best Uchechukwu Ngam were identified as members of “Blood Tiger Confraternity”.

    Items allegedly recovered from them include military camouflage, red berets, weeds suspected to be cannabis and mobile phones which the police said they suspected the hoodlums snatched from their victims.

    It was learnt that the suspects confessed to being members of the confraternity and were helping the police in their investigation.

    The release stated: “Following the arrest of Samuel Akoma of Umuoak Obohia Ibere in Ikwuano LGA and Keneth Ananaba of Umuananaba Obegu, Ugwunagbo LGA at Arris Hotels, Ogbor Hill (off Aba-Ikot Ekpene Expressway), Aba North Local Government Area, by a team of operatives attached to the command’s Dragon Squad on 27/07/2017, and subsequent investigation by detectives attached to the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Section, the suspects confessed to have on 23/07/2017, at about 2028hrs, along Omenazu Street by Faulks Road, Aba kidnapped one Kelvin Chijioke Wogu of No.8 Garden City/Omenazu Street in his Toyota Highlander Jeep with registration no. FST 263 DN.”

    The suspects were said to have confessed to collecting N3 million ransom before they released their victim to his family members.

    One Goodluck Iheoma Sunday was arrested at Umuobii Ukpakiri Obingwa LGA. A Mitsuibishi Jeep with reg no. UMA 103 SW used by the suspects as their operational vehicle and believed to have been snatched from a victim, was equally recovered by the police team.

    The Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Oyebade Adeleye, said that the command was ready to make the state a safe haven for economic and business activities to thrive, warning those nursing the ambition to perpetuate evil in the state to have a rethink as the security agencies would not allow them to have their way.

  • Naval rating arrested for ‘car snatching’

    Naval rating arrested for ‘car snatching’

    A naval rating, Samuel Eze, has been nabbed for alleged car snatching in Edo State.

    Eze, 24, said he was serving with the Navy in Delta State.

    He was paraded with a four-man robbery gang, which allegedly specialised in snatching cars and selling them in Abuja.

    Eze claimed he did not belong to the gang but only helped them to escort a Hilux van to Abuja, after which he was given N100,000.

    He said it was a colleague, Kanu Henry, who asked him to escort the vehicle to Abuja.

    The suspect said: “I didn’t join the gang. I was on break when a colleague of mine called me to escort a vehicle to Abuja. I didn’t know it was a stolen vehicle. I got to Abuja before I knew it was a stolen vehicle. I just asked the Alhaji to give me my transport fare and I went back to Benin City.

    “I could not go to the police because there was nothing I could do. My colleague negotiated the share and I was given N100,000. I came to Benin to collect uniform that was sent to me from Lagos. One of the boys called me and I went to see him, but I didn’t know police were with him. I earn N76,000 monthly. I’m not married. I blame my friend for this.”

    One of the gang members, Elvis Friday, said he did not know how Eze was called to help the gang escort the vehicle to Abuja.

    He said they were yet to share the money before they were nabbed.

    His words: “I don’t know the naval rating. It was Peter who knows him. I don’t know how Peter negotiated with him. It was Peter that brought the guns we used in Makurdi.”

    Police Commissioner Haliru Gwandu said the suspects would soon be arraigned.

  • RRS bursts car-snatching syndicate

    RRS bursts car-snatching syndicate

    A driver John Godwin was  arrested by Rapid Response Squad (RRS) operatives on Monday for alleged car theft.

    Godwin, a member of a four-man gang specialised in snatching cars, was nabbed with a stolen Toyota Camry marked FKJ 555 CV around Isheri–Osun on LASU/Iyana Iba Road.

    Godwin, who claimed that he is a driver with a company in Ojodu Berger, said he met Ndubuisi in a hotel in Isolo on Sunday. He said he appealed to him to help him tow a car.

    “He (Ndubuisi) told me that the location of the car was far from where we were. With him as at the time I got there were Ade and Ebuka, also members of the syndicate. We entered a Toyota Corolla  owned by Ade and we headed towards where the vehicle was parked in Isheri–Osun,” he said, adding: “When we got to where they parked the car around 3am, Ndubuisi, Ade and Ebuka told me to wait in the car. In less than 30 minutes, I saw them pushing a Toyota Camry. I asked them, ‘where is the key of the car?’ Ndubuisi told me the kick has problem but I noticed one of the side glasses was broken. We tied a rope to the Camry and we began to tow it.

    “We were on LASU–Iyana Iba Road, when I noticed that the rope tied to the Camry had cut. To my surprised, Both Ndubuisi and Ade, who were in the Toyota Corolla used in towing didn’t wait. I was wondering what was happening, just in that moment, I saw RRS men parked by the car. Meanwhile, Ebuka, who was with me in the stolen car, on sighting the RRS operatives, pretended as if he was calling before taking to his heels. I am innocent. I was only invited to come and assist in driving the vehicle. Ndubuisi only told me that the vehicle broke down and they needed somebody to assist in towing the vehicle to Berger bus stop around Mile 2″.

    The car owner, Joseph Inaboya, thanked RRS for helping him to recover his vehicle.

    He said he was still in bed on Monday morning when he got a call from the RRS asking about the location of his car, and he replied that the car was in the front of his house.

    Inaboya said: “The officer asked me to go and check the car. I went downstairs and I couldn’t find it. I went round the streets, I couldn’t find it.

    “I came back home to tell my wife that our car has been stolen. The officer called back to inform us that the vehicle was stolen but recovered and that it is in RRS Headquarters, Alausa.”

    Police spokesperson Dolapo Badmus said the suspects have been transferred to SARS, while efforts are on to get the fleeing members.

  • Police smash interstate car-snatching syndicate

    Police smash interstate car-snatching syndicate

    The game is over for a gang of interstate car snatchers  after being trapped by the   Special Anti-Robbery Squad  (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos.

    Two members of the gang, Evans Demodia and Benson Obode, were arrested in Benin,the Edo State capital by a team of  SARS operatives during a search for a stolen Toyota Corolla.

    The car had been snatched  at gun point  from a Lagos businessman, Alhaji Babangida Isah, at Dopemu area of Lagos.

    The SARS operatives,sources said,had tracked phone calls by the suspects  on Isah’s cell phone which they had stolen with his car.

    Demodia, an auto mechanic, was arrested  at his workshop, at No 33, Auchi Road, Benin City.

    Further search in his house yielded two other cars suspected to have been stolen –a  Toyota Camry belonging to one Mr. Lawrence Oaikhena, of Warri, Delta State, and a Honda CRV.

    The Toyota Camry, was said to have been robbed at gunpoint from its owner, in Warri, Delta State, when a white Peugeot 307 car, with two occupants, double crossed it.

    Twenty-seven year-old Demodia has  confessed that he is a receiver of stolen vehicles from the gang.

    He claimed to have  received over four cars from the gang’s alleged  leader, Obode.

    He said  Obode and one Chief Osama, met him in his workshop and lured him into joining the gang.

    His words:”I joined because I saw there was huge profit in the business. When I met Obode, he told me that he was a car dealer that buys vehicles and he would want me to help him sell in Benin, but later I discovered that he was an armed robber.

    “My suspicion was confirmed when I saw an expended cartridge in one of the cars, I also discovered that the vehicles usually had no papers. I deal in Toyota products, so I told him that I wanted Toyota cars. I paid him N400, 000 for the Toyota Corolla that he gave me and I sold it to a woman for N500, 000. I also bought a

    Toyota Camry from him for N350, 000 and sold it for N400, 000.

    “ I received two other cars which I was yet to sell when the police arrested me. When they interrogated me I told them that,  Obode supplied the cars to me and I took them to his house. We didn’t meet him at home , but his landlord was asked to follow us.

    “A few hours later, Obode, was brought into my cell and his face was covered with bruises. I asked what happened to him and he said he was beaten up by a mob when he got home. He told me that some vigilance men arrested him with a Peugeot 307 and he was identified as the robber who policemen from Lagos were looking for and while he attempted to escape he was chased and they gave him the  beating of his life.

    “On our way to Lagos, Obode, fell very ill and he was taken to the hospital.”

    Pleading for mercy, Demodia blamed his involvement in crime on greed.

    “I should have been contented with what I had. I wasn’t doing badly as mechanic and I have operated my own workshop for over five years. It was greed that made me join the gang. I feel very bad about it.”

  • Alleged car snatching robbery: Eight suspected held

    Alleged car snatching robbery: Eight suspected held

    The Abia State police command has paraded two young men suspected to have snatched a Toyota Sequioa SUV car from its owner.

    The command also alleged that the suspects pasted the campaign poster of Hon. Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje, member representing Bende Federal constituency of the state on the stolen vehicle.

    Parading the suspects in Umuahia, the state Commissioner of Police, Adamu Ibrahim concluded that they may have used the poster as a camouflage to escape arrest.

    Ibrahim said that the two men whose names were given as Uchenna Ibero, 24, and Ifeanyi Agbai, 27, were arrested by the police at Amaiyi Obilohia in Isuikwuato council area after snatching a campaign bus from a politician.

    The Abia police chief said that the suspects had earlier snatched a Mitsubushi campaign bus with registration number APP 376 CV, belonging to Chief Karibe Pascal Ojigwe, a former international footballer and candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance for Abia House of Assembly.

    He said that the suspects snatched the bus at gunpoint from Ojigwe, adding,”My men went after them and traced them to Isuikwuato, where Agbai was arrested and during a search in his house we recovered one AK47 rifle with serial number 05934.

    One AK47 magazine containing three rounds of live ammunition, a locally made revolver pistol, one APGA T-shirt and one black polo with the inscription, ‘Gallant MOPOL, including the snatched bus.

    A few days later the suspects led the police to De-Jug Hotel located at Nkpa near Uzuakoli in search of the fleeing members of the gang and the hoodlums numbering about five on sighting the police opened fire on them”.

    Ibrahim said that at the end of the gun battle, one suspect identified as Ifeanyi Agwu Sunday of Eluama Alayi was arrested with bullet wounds and the Toyota SUV with registration number SMK 766 DE with a poster on it recovered.

    The Abia police boss said that his men also recovered one Space Wagon with the number NCH 405 AE, one Toyota Picnic SUV with the number KPA 177 LG and a Lexus Jeep with the number PH 30 AM.

    He said that the vehicles were recovered and one Ndubueze Onuegbu was arrested in connection with the three vehicles which were parked in a compound belonging to one Chibueze Onuegbu at Ubani Ibeku in Umuahia North area.

    The police said they also paraded six other suspected armed robbers arrested at different locations in the state, and assured the residents that criminals would be chased out of the state.

    The state Commissioner of Police said that the command has put in place a lot of security measures which led to the arrest of over 200 suspects before, during and after the Christmas period, with many of them being prosecuted.

    Ibrahim said that his men while on patrol along Aba-Owerri Expressway, arrested one Chinaza Ofoegbu from Isuikwuato with a machete at a notorious black spot at Aro-Ngwa near Aba

    The police chief said the suspects was nabbed “while blocking the highway with stones alongside his gang members,” adding that “others fled into the bush, while Chinaza was arrested”.

    He said that another armed robbery suspect a notorious one, who has been on the police watch list for some time with the name Chimere Eze alias ‘Nwa Barrister’ was arrested.

    He added that Nwa Barrister had been involved in many armed robbery cases in the state but that he had been evading police arrest for over three years.

    The suspect was arrested with a locally made pistol which was concealed in a brown bag at Asaga village, Arochukwu where he was engaged in a serious fight with his gang members, it was said.

    Ibrahim said that his men on raid at Asaeme village Uratta, Aba, arrested Onyekachi Uchendu of 11D Faulks road Aba in a criminal hideout with one unregistered Skygo motorcycle suspected to have been stolen, adding that the case is under investigation.

    He said that another armed robbery suspect Uchenna Ibeawuchi of Umulolo Olokoro was also arrested for being in possession of a suspected stolen motorcycle.

    “On interrogation, he confessed to the allegation and disclosed the receivers of the motorcycles, which led to the  recovery of six motorcycles,” Ibrahim said.

    The police CP said that his men arrested Enyinnaya Umegbulam for attacking Chibuike Ojiabo and Azubike Paul both of Ihie Ndume in Umuahia, saying that the suspect inflicted injuries on two of them with stones, sticks, and bottles and robbed them of their phones and cash.

    Ibrahim said that one of the victims, Ojiabo who was seriously injured eventually died in the hospital while the suspect Umegbulam ran away, ”However my men later tracked him after many attempts and he has been arrested”.

    He said that the police at Bende Division received a distress call from a concern citizen from Ozuitem and when they got there with the help of vigilante arrested one Okorie Dick and that a locally made pistol was found on him with an unregistered motorcycle, “While efforts are being made to arrest his gang member, Uwalaka Nwokorie of Ozuitem who is at large”.

    The Abia CP said that the last person to be paraded was one Ezekiel Ogbaa who was arrested while trying to steal an MTN transformer, adding that the suspect conspired with five others now at large, but that his men recovered a Citroen Jumper bus with the number WER 36 EM used by the suspects.

  • DSS smashes car-snatching syndicate

    DSS smashes car-snatching syndicate

    The Department of State Service (DSS) in Anambra State has smashed a car- snatching syndicate and arrested eight suspects.

    Four of the snatched cars at Awka and Ogidi in Idemili North Local Government were recovered with two pistols from the suspects.

    Parading the suspects yesterday in Awka, the state Director of DSS, Mr. Alex Okeiyi, hailed Governor Willie Obiano for fighting crime.

    He praised the neighbouring commands for investigating the matter, which took them to Kaduna State.

    Okeiyi warned criminals involved in car-snatching to desist.

    The suspects are Chizoba Cosmos Agwuike (aka Malife), Kingsley Ifeanyi Okpara (aka Method), Arinze Philip Nweke, Onyedika Vincent Okoye (aka Don Pacino), Uche Ike (aka Uche white), Umeh Kelvin Afamefuna and Uche Chibuzo (aka Nwanwanyi Ukwuogbu).

    The vehicles recovered are a Honda saloon car belonging to Anene Albert Onyemaechi, which was snatched in Awka and a Ford Escape belonging to Elochukwu Osondu, stolen at Ogidi.

    Others are a Sienna bus belonging to Christian Chike Okudo, which was snatched at Ogidi and a Toyota Camry saloon car  belonging to David Onyiliofor, a lawyer, which was stolen at Awka.

    Onyiliofor said the suspects snatched his vehicle on August 27 at Dr. Hezekiah Dike Street in Awka when his wife died.

    Agwuike, 20, said they sold some of the vehicles between N250,000 and N300,000.

    Arinze said he joined the gang when he returned from Togo because of hardship, adding that he had only made N50,000.

  • Police burst car-snatching syndicate

    Police burst car-snatching syndicate

    A member of a notorious car snatching syndicate that specialised in forcing their victims to withdraw money for them through Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) has been arrested by the police in Lagos. The suspect, Wasiu Taiwo, said his gang snatched over 50 exotic vehicles in less than five months, besides forcing their victims to withdraw millions of naira from their accounts. The DECOY Team of the State Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the state police command intercepted the gang. The Nation learnt that the police team intercepted the robbers last Thursday night in Ejigbo after they had snatched a Honda Accord car and took the victim to an ATM where they collected his money. Wasiu was arrested while three others jumped out of the car when the decoy team closed in on them. Police sources said: “When the robbers noticed the police team, they started driving recklessly and operatives suspected them and gave them a chase. Three of the suspects opened the doors of the vehicle and jumped out. Operatives did not shoot at them because they were not sure they were armed robbers. One of them who was arrested is helping investigators to trail his fleeing accomplices”. Taiwo confessed that his gang had been terrorising residents for months, adding that most of the vehicles they snatched were moved across the border where they are sold to some car dealers. He said: “Whenever we snatched the vehicles, we would take their owners along in case there were security devices in the vehicles which we might not be able to operate. Besides, we took our victims to the banks where we forced them to withdraw money with their ATM cards for us; then, we would take them to a distance where we dropped them off. “Since we started, we have snatched over 50 cars and we sold most of them across the border where we have our receivers. We still have some of our buyers here in Lagos”. Police sources disclosed that the suspect was being detained in the SARS’ custody, adding that investigations were ongoing.

  • Enugu councillor arrested for car snatching

    A Local government Councillor (names withheld) has been reportedly arrested by the police in Enugu for alleged car robbery.

    Sources close to the local government secretariat at Enugu-Ezike in Igboeze North, said the who was based in Onitsha, Anambra State, he came into office this year, was last week whisked away by law enforcement agents, following a tip-off.

    It was gathered that the lawmaker was linked to a car snatched somewhere in Seme border which was traced to Obollo-Afor in Udenu Local government Area of Enugu State, where it was showcased for sale by a motor dealer.

    Following an interrogation, the motor dealer confessed to the police that the vehicle belonged to the councillor.

    It was learnt that the state government had to withdraw the Councillor’s offered pending the outcome of his trial.

    Enugu Police spokesman Ebere Amarizu said he should be given time to get details of the matter.

    He said the councillor was not in the custody of the Enugu State Police Command.

    It was, however, learnt that his arrest was carried out by the Rivers State Police command, where the case was reported.