Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia
The Nasarawa State Police Command yesterday said it has smashed a notorious syndicate of motorcycle thieves who disguise as police officers, and arrested five suspects.
The state Police Command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Ramhan Nansel, disclosed this in a statement, adding that the syndicate operated between Aya Junction in Abuja and Keffi in Nasarawa State
The statement read in part: “On July 3, 2022, at about 1435hrs, the state police operatives attached to Masaka Division, while acting on credible information, smashed a notorious syndicate of motorcycle thieves that operated between Aya Junction in Abuja and Keffi in Nasarawa State.
“The following suspects were arrested-Aminu Adamu, Adamu Mohammed, Rilwanu Bala, Kabiru Usman, and Bashir A. Bashir.”
The statement noted further that preliminary investigation revealed the suspects posed as police officers, hired commercial motorcycle riders, whose motorcycles are still new, to a location, where one of the syndicate members posed as an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), and dispossessed the rider of his motorcycle and zoomed off.
“The suspects confessed to have snatched over 30 motorcycles from commercial motorcycle riders through the same technique, produced fake receipts and sold them off to unsuspecting members of the public.”
Consequently, the statement disclosed that items also recovered from the suspects as exhibits included a Peugeot 406 vehicle marked: ABJ 963 NW; two fake police warrant cards; two fake Police Community Relations (PCRC) Identification Cards; one spray teargas; one pair of handcuff; one walkie-talkie; blank motorcycle receipts booklet, and charms.
“The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adesina Soyemi, has ordered for discreet investigation of the case after which, the suspects will be charged to court for prosecution.”
