By Imisioluwa Afunmiso
The Nigeria Police Force has arrested 3 suspected members of a notorious armed robbery syndicate and recovered 10 stolen vehicles in Kaduna State.
According to a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by the Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Okon Placid, the suspects, identified as Abubakar Musa (36), Hassan Umar (30), and Joshua Raphael (20), were apprehended on March 16, 2026, following an operation by the Force Intelligence Department, Special Tactical Squad (FID-STS).
Preliminary investigations revealed that the alleged ringleader, Musa, is a dismissed corporal of the Nigerian Army who had been impersonating a serving soldier to evade arrest while carrying out criminal activities.
According to police findings, the syndicate specialised in stealing vehicles and altering or removing registration details to conceal their identity and ownership.
Items recovered from the suspects include 10 vehicles of different brands, comprising Toyota Hilux trucks, Toyota Corolla cars, a Pontiac Vibe GT, a Honda vehicle, a Lexus car, and a Toyota RAV4 SUV with several of the recovered vehicles found without registration numbers.
The police noted that efforts are ongoing to track down other fleeing members of the gang and recover additional stolen items.
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, commended the operatives for the successful operation, reaffirming the commitment of the force to tackling crime and safeguarding lives and property across the country.