By Ejire Folakunmi
The Nigeria Police Force has dismantled a high-profile “One Chance” robbery syndicate with the arrest of two key suspects responsible for a series of violent abductions and robberies across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nasarawa State.
Acting on precision intelligence, operatives from the Force Intelligence Department Special Tactical Squad (FID-STS) apprehended David Francis (22) and Emmanuel Ibenni, popularly known as “Markfish” (36), on March 8, 2026, at a hotel in Mararaba.
The suspects are accused of operating a sophisticated criminal network that utilized commercial vehicles to trap unsuspecting commuters.
Once victims were inside, the gang would transition from “drivers” to assailants, robbing, assaulting, and in some tragic instances, killing their passengers before dumping their bodies.
The arrest of “Markfish” and his accomplice is a significant blow to the “One Chance” phenomenon, which has become a persistent threat to urban mobility in the Abuja-Nasarawa corridor.
This specific syndicate’s tactic of “luring and stripping” victims highlights a mechanical failure in the unregulated commercial transport sector, which these criminals exploit.
By operating under the guise of legitimate transport, they bypass the natural caution of commuters, turning a routine daily activity into a life-threatening encounter.
The involvement of the FID-STS underscores the shift in the Nigeria Police Force’s strategy toward intelligence-led policing.
Rather than relying on traditional roadblocks, the use of “actionable intelligence” allowed operatives to track the suspects to their hideout across state lines in Nasarawa.
This cross-border coordination is a mechanical necessity for securing the FCT, as criminal syndicates often use neighboring states as “safe zones” after committing crimes in the capital.
The Force’s move to encourage victims to come forward for identification is also a vital step in building a forensic trail that ensures these suspects face the full weight of the law, potentially leading to the recovery of stolen assets and the closure of multiple unresolved missing persons cases in the region.