By MOLLY KILETE
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested suspected criminals that specialise in trailing bank customers and rob them.
This was just as the command spoilt the fun for a 27-year-old man that allegedly had been snatching handbags from women at bus stops.
Suspected members of the three- man gang identified as Augustine John (40), Ronald Matthew (30) and Ifeanyi Nna (25) were arrested after a tip-off.
Police said the three suspects had been terrorizing residents of the FCT for some time now, robbing bank customers after they had withdrawn money at gunpoint.
The suspects, who were said to be resident in Kaduna State, usually come to the FCT to operate and return to their base.
However, they ran out of luck after they had trailed a bank customer and broken into his car and attempted to remove the money he had withdrawn.
The suspects, who according to the police, operated with fabricated master keys and other weapons, were arrested in their Sienna mini bus marked RSH 913 MW. After a thorough search of the bus, policemen found four fabricated keys, one bunch of house keys, dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp and a mixed liquid substance.
Further investigation by the police revealed that two of the suspects, Augustine and Ronald, were said to be renowned for their involvement in “one-chance” robbery in Abuja
Meanwhile, 27-year- old Godwin Samson, who allegedly snatched handbags from women at bus stops is now cooling off in police cell. He was arrested at a bus stop at city gate after a woman who was waiting to board a bus raised the alarm that the suspect snatched her bag.
The alarm attracted the attention of policemen on patrol in the area who arrested him.
He was led back to the bus stop where he committed the offence and surrendered the bag to the woman. Inside the bag were one ITEL mobile phone, one hundred Kenyan shillings and N6,000.