Police nab fake soldier, others for fraud, robbery

The FCT Police Command has arrested several suspects, including a fake soldier, his accomplice; and an armed robbery syndicate popularly known as one-chance, terrorising Abuja.

The police arrested one Moses Daniel for alleged fraud, and one Emmanuel Linus for allegedly impersonating the Nigerian Army by wearing the complete uniform of the armed forces to “perpetuate crimes.”

According to the FCT Commissioner of Police, Tunji Dusu, Linus was apprehended on 30 November “dressed in a full Nigerian Army camouflage uniform”.

Mr Disu said during interrogation in Abuja that Linus presented “a fake military identification card that listed December 20, 2024, as his date of birth, raising immediate suspicions.”

“Further intelligence gathered while he was in custody revealed that Linus is allegedly a member of a criminal syndicate specialising in defrauding unsuspecting victims.

“The group reportedly purchases goods and services using fake bank alerts to deceive sellers,” the FCT CP revealed.

Another notable success recorded by the police was the clampdown on some criminal elements known as ‘One Chance’ syndicate.

Police operatives foiled their robbery operations, and rescued several victims, including a pregnant woman on 28 November.

Mr Disu expressed his heartfelt gratitude to residents of the FCT.

He commented their continued support and cooperation during the police’s intensified security operations aimed at combating the menace of ‘One Chance’ robberies and car theft in the country’s capital.

He also revealed that the FCT Command’s Special Tactical Team “has impounded 296 vehicles to date for violations such as using tinted glasses, driving with only one plate number, and using concealed or defaced number plates.”

Speaking further, Mr Disu said, “our operations have successfully foiled five ‘One Chance’ robbery operations, rescuing three victims who were abducted by these criminal elements.

“These achievements highlight the effectiveness of our proactive strategies and show the importance of public collaboration in ensuring the safety of all FCT residents.”

He added that the command recently declared intense war against one-chance robbers and other criminal gangs in the FCT.

Relatedly, the police have rescued a pregnant woman who was a victim of one-chance robbery.

He revealed that on 28 November, at approximately 7:00 pm, a distress call reported an ongoing robbery along Idu Industrial Area Road.

According to the CP, p olice operatives from Karimo Division swiftly responded, arresting one Ikechukwu Ngerem at the scene and rescuing the victim, Doris Gabriel, a heavily pregnant woman.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that one Doris, a pregnant woman, had been abducted on her way home from the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi by a gang posing as commercial vehicle operators. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects,” he said.

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