Police smash notorious car theft syndicate, arrest female armourer of a kidnap gang

The Nigeria Police Special Tactical Squad (STS) has smashed a two-man car stealing gang led by one Bashir Isiaku, aged 34, notorious for stealing cars from the car park of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Plateau State.

The Police in a statement on Tuesday explained that the arrest of Bashir, a graduate of one of the Federal Polytechnics, was effected after painstaking efforts and investigations by operatives of the STS to hunt down the criminals. The Police said that Bashir and his accomplice, Aminu Yakubu, specialized in using customized master key, crafted out of screwdriver to open and start vehicles.

Police investigations show that their choices of cars are ones without special security features such as pedal or steering locks. The police disclosed that 21 vehicles have so far been recovered from the hoodlums and their criminal receivers.

The police stated that following criminal receivers have also been arrested: in Funtua – Rilwanu Garba, Ibrahim Hassan, Kabiru Aliyu, Sikiru Danjuma, Bashir Abba; in Sokoto – Dodo Danbello, Mudeen Adelera, Nasiru Bello, Hassan Bawa; in Kucheri – Magazine Garba; in Tsafe – Yushehu Abdullahi;  in Gusau – Abdurazaq Adekoya; and in Marafa – Kabiru Aliyu.

The recovered vehicles comprise 2 Opel Vectra, 1 Toyota Camry, 1 Honda CRV, 2 Toyota Carinae, 7 Golf-3, 1 Toyota Corolla, 6 Honda Civic and 1 Toyota Avensis.

The police indicated that the suspects claimed that they found it easy to steal in JUTH due to the lax security at JUTH premises. Police investigations revealed that their choice cars are Toyota products, Honda products, and Volkswagen especially, the Golf brand, because these brand of cars are in high demand by criminal receivers, either in whole or in parts across the country and other neighboring countries.

In the light of the above, members of the public whose cars were stolen between January 2019 and March 2020, within the premises of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) are advised by the police to come forward for possible identification and recovery. Nigerians are equally enjoined to take extra measures to secure their cars by utilizing special security features such as steering or pedal locks, tracking systems, etc.

The police also encouraged  institutions and organizations to enhance security and access control within their premises to minimize the possibility of theft and other mischief by criminals.

The police also arrested a 28-year-old female armourer, Fatima Garba, alongside her gang of kidnappers and armed robbers, notorious for attacking innocent Nigerians around Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna and Niger States. “As an armourer, Fatima was responsible for ensuring the safety of the weapons used by the gang whenever not in use. Fatima, who confessed of being the gang’s armourer for over a year, claimed to receive a handsome reward each time the weapons were returned to her after each operation.

“She acknowledged knowing that the arms which she usually kept in a neatly dug hole in her compound were used for robberies, kidnapping and other criminal purposes,” the police narrated.

Police investigations show that Fatima, a trader and single parent of two, was recruited by her boyfriend, Abubakar Usman. Other members of the gang include: Samaila Usman ‘m’ aged 28, Mohammed Ibrahim ‘m’ aged 30, Mohammed Agali ‘m’ aged 22, Dahiru Bello ‘m’ aged 33, Shamsu Mohammed ‘m’ aged 30, Mohammed Usman ‘m’ aged 37, Umar Abdullahi ‘m’ 33, Buhari Abubakar ‘m’ aged 33 and Abubakar Garba ‘m’ aged 37. Since they began operations, the gang is estimated to have made over 12 million naira from their various criminal escapades.

The police indicated that recovered items from the gang include:

• 5 AK47 rifles
• 1 G3 rifle
• 1 Berretta pistol
• 1476 rounds of ammunition
• 36 rounds of G3 ammunition
• 6 AK47 magazines
• 1 operational vehicle
• 8 mobile phones
• Box containing operational tools

All the suspects will be charged to court at the conclusion of investigations, the police said.

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP M.A. Adamu, NPM, mni assures Nigerians of the continued commitment of the Force to the protection of lives and property and rid the country of crime and criminality especially during this lockdown period.

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