Police bust car theft syndicate in Abuja, arrest suspects

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has dismantled a notorious car theft syndicate operating in Abuja, recovering two stolen vehicles and arresting three key members of the gang.

The suspects reportedly confessed to refurbishing stolen vehicles, altering their colours, and reselling them as newer models to unsuspecting buyers.

The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

“On April 11, 2025, following a distress call received by the Durumi Division regarding the theft of a gold-coloured 2005 Toyota Corolla (registration number KUJ 208 DA) from a residence, operatives swiftly launched an investigation,” she stated.

The stolen vehicle was tracked to a workshop in Durumi, where it was undergoing illegal refurbishment. The car’s colour was already being changed in an attempt to conceal its identity and prepare it for quick resale.

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Further searches at the workshop led to the recovery of another red Toyota Corolla (registration number GWA 844 CK), which had earlier been reported stolen from a residence in Jikwoyi.

Three suspects were arrested at the scene: Steven Musa, David Dalyol (a painter) and Ibrahim Mohammed (a mechanic).

During interrogation, the trio confessed to being part of a larger car theft syndicate operating across Wuse, Central Area, Jikwoyi, and Bwari within the FCT. They admitted to stealing multiple vehicles, refurbishing them, and selling them off as upgraded models.

The suspects remain in police custody and will be charged to court upon completion of investigations.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao S. Adewale, commended the swift action of the officers involved and urged residents to install vehicle tracking systems and anti-theft devices to enhance recovery efforts in the event of a theft.

Police bust car theft syndicate in Abuja, arrest suspects

Troops foil attacks on Bokkos, recover heavy arms in Plateau

Troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), under the ongoing Operation Lafiyan Jamaa, on Saturday, April 12, 2025, successfully foiled coordinated militia attacks on the communities of Tamiso, Daffo, Manguna, Taddai, and Hurti in Bokkos Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State.

According to Major Samson Nantip Zhakom, Media Information Officer of OPSH, the troops, during routine patrols, made contact with the armed militias, engaged them in a shootout, and overwhelmed the attackers. In the process, the criminals were forced to abandon an AK-47 rifle and six motorcycles.

Zhakom stated that following the confrontation, the troops observed traces of blood along the attackers’ withdrawal route, indicating likely casualties among the militia.

“Through further exploitation of the attacked locations in Bokkos, troops conducted clearance operations in Hurti community after observing militant activity in the surrounding mountainous area,” he said.

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“Troops engaged the criminals with a high volume of fire, forcing them to withdraw in disarray. During a sweep of the area, they recovered one locally fabricated pistol, six rounds of 9mm ammunition, and four motorcycles.”

He added that troops have continued to dominate the general area to neutralize any fleeing criminals.

In a related development, troops from the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Gashish conducted offensive operations at Dome Hill, Rahul Mazat, and Anguwa Mamuda in Barkin Ladi LGA, acting on credible intelligence.

During the search of a known criminal hideout, they recovered: One fabricated revolver rifle, One round of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition and ₦89,800 in cash

However, the suspects managed to flee before the troops arrived. The recovered items are now in military custody, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend the escapees.

Troops foil attacks on Bokkos, recover heavy arms in Plateau

NDLEA exposes Malaysian returnee with hard drugs concealed in music speakers

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a 41-year-old ex-convict and Malaysian returnee, Ndubuisi Udatu (aka Richard) with two giant music speakers used to conceal four large parcels of methamphetamine weighing 2.700kilograms for distribution in Yola and Mubi, Adamawa state, and across the border into Cameroon.

Ndubuisi was arrested inside a commercial transport bus at an NDLEA check point at Namtari along Ngurore -Yola road, Adamawa on Monday 7th April 2025.

He was found with two new music speakers used to conceal four packages of methamphetamine and monetary exhibit of N22,300.

In his statement, he claimed he returned to Nigeria to continue his illicit drug trade after serving out his jail term in Malaysia where he had been arrested, convicted and sent to prison for drug trafficking offences.

In another interdiction exercise, NDLEA officers in a joint border operation with Customs personnel at the Nigeria/Cameroon border, Mfum, Cross River state arrested a trans-border drug trafficker, 35-year-old Odoh Peter Ikechukwu, with 8,740 ampoules of assorted opioids, weighing 395kg.

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They include: 1,080 ampoules of fentanyl injection, 2,160 ampoules of morphine sulphate injection, 3,010 ampoules of phenobarbital sulphate injection, 2,160 ampoules of pethidine injection, and 330 ampoules of midazolam injection.

In Kano, NDLEA operatives on Friday 11th April 2025 arrested 27-year-old Aliyu Ibrahim with 20 ATM cards and 25,600 pills of tramadol 225mg and 250mg at Bachirawa area of Kano, while 48-year-old Gambo Lawan was nabbed in a follow up operation at Wazobia motor park, Gwagwalada FCT Abuja following the seizure of a consignment of 8,960 pills of tramadol by NDLEA officers on routine check along Gwagwalada expressway on Monday 7th April.

Not less than 124 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, packaged in 11 jumbo bags were on Friday 11th April recovered from the boot of a Lexus car marked KTU 54 CU driven by a suspect, Ademiluyi Adedapo Collins, 58, along Mokwa-Jebba road, Niger state.

Meanwhile, the NDLEA Commands across the country continued to balance their drug supply reduction operations with War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, social advocacy campaigns to schools, markets, worship centres and communities in the past week.

Some of these include: WADA sensitisation lecture delivered to students and staff of New Era Secondary School, Nteje, Anambra; Promise Land College, Ikotun Egbe, Lagos; Cherryfield College, Jikwoyi, FCT; Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, Ogbomoso, Oyo state; Nurul Faruq Islamic Academy, Gombi, Adamawa state, while the Kwara state command paid a WADA advocacy visit to Oloro of Oro kingdom, Oba Joel Olaniyi Oyatoye Titiloye Olufayo II, among others.

While commending the efforts of the officers and men of Adamawa, Cross River, FCT, Kano and Niger State Commands of the Agency for job well done, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) tasked them and their compatriots nationwide not to rest on their oars but continue to raise the bar in their offensive action against drug cartels with an equal measure of drug demand reduction efforts.

NDLEA exposes Malaysian returnee with hard drugs concealed in music speakers.

Seyi Tinubu | Kano | Buhari | PRAYERS FOR ASHLEY | Tompolo | RIP Legend | Obi Cubana | Victor Osimhen | Cbex pic.twitter.com/hIOEqtboH2

— Newstrends.Ng (@Newstrends_ng) April 13, 2025

NDLEA exposes Malaysian returnee with hard drugs concealed in music speakers