Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
A gang of armed robbers that specialises in robbing innocent citizens in Lokoja the state capital and dispossessing them of their exotic cars at gunpoint has been nabbed by the police.
Parading the members before newsmen at the police headquarters on Thursday, the state police commissioner, Ede Ayuba Ekpeji said the car-snatching suspects were fond of hibernating at night time in at drinking joints and some other strategic locations in the state capital from where they swoop on their unsuspecting victims and dispossess them of their cars.
While giving the names of the suspects as Idris Bello aged 26 (gang leader) Nafiu Bello, 28, and Mohammed Yahaya, 27, he said five brands of Toyota exotic cars and a Ford Explorer vehicle with one English made pistol and locally-made pistol were recovered from them.
The CP said the police were on the trail of a gang of armed robbers that also specialises in robbing motorists along Abuja- Lokoja highway and stripping them naked after dispossessing them of their cars and valuables to give an erroneous impression to other road users that they are mentally unstable so as to allow them escape with their loots.
The police boss also paraded three other suspects namely Ahmed Abah, Yauza Adamu and Idris Sani who allegedly stole one Toyota Highlander 2009 model with registration number Lagos SMK 963 FZ and were taking the vehicle to the North for sale when they were caught in Lokoja.
On interrogation, he said the suspects admitted that they stole the vehicle from their employer in Lagos to teach him a lesson because he was paying them low wage.
Also paraded was one Monday Shaibu who is said to be terrorising motorists along Ayingba road wearing military camouflage. Shaibu was alleged to have stolen a Bajaj motorcycle.
Also paraded were Mustapha James Onuh, Abubakar Achaji Ali, Ibrahim Barto, Yakubu Dankap, Bello Suleiman and Aliyu Ibrahim were allegedly severally arrested for criminal conspiracy and armed robberies.
The CP who was recently posted to the state said the command had designed a template to curb criminal activities in the state, called on members of the public to give useful and timely information to the police to enable them to serve the state better.
He said the suspects arrested would soon be arraigned in court as soon as investigations were completed.
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