Dismissed Soldier, Accomplice Arrested For Armed Robbery, Kidnapping In Abuja

Abuja, Nigeria– Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), FCT Command, have arrested a dismissed soldier, Gabriel David Elihu, of Apo Mechanic Village, and Alex Iorjaa of Gboko L.G.A of Benue State, for armed robbery and kidnapping in Abuja.

Disclosing this to newsmen, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Bennett Igweh, on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.

According to the CP, the suspects were arrested on March 17, after receiving a distress call at about 02:30pm, through the Mabushi Division from two victims; Blessing Mafulul Damia and Haliru Zakari, that some men in an unregistered Toyota Hilux trailed them while on their way home from a medical store in Gwarimpa to Gishiri village, robbed them of their valuables and attempted to kidnap them.

“Upon receipt of the information, Police operatives of the Division swung into action, trailed the vehicle and arrested the two suspects Elihu and Iorjaa. A black coloured Toyota Hilux with Reg No. NBB 03 AH (Nasarawa), a jackknife, and some military accoutrements were recovered from them. Suspects will be charged to court soon,” the CP stated.

Also, the Men of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have arrested a pregnant married woman who faked her kidnap, demanding N2 million as ransom from her husband.

‘’He later received a call through his wife’s phone number telling him that his wife had been kidnapped and demanded for two (2) million naira ransom before her release. He transferred the sum of two (2) million naira into his wife’s account as instructed by the kidnapper. He later brought his wife to the station after her release. During interrogation, the wife freely confessed to have conspired with one man named Walter Ezeala ‘m’ living in the same street with them at Saburi to extort money from her husband.

The said Walter was arrested and he confessed that his own share was eight hundred thousand (N800,000) naira and the lady took one million two hundred thousand naira (N1,200,000). The sum of Seven hundred and ninety three thousand five hundred naira (N793,500) cash, two (2) FCMB ATM cards and two android phone was recovered from them.”

“On March 14, 2023 at about 5:30pm, Akuh Chinemezeh reported at Apo Divisional Headquarters that his younger brother, one Pascal Akuh, 28 years, called him saying he was arrested by Police and taken to SCID custody,” the CP stated.

“On the strength of this, the Police and the suspect’s family went to SCID, IRT and FCID detention facilities, only to discover that he is not in any of the aforementioned facilities.

“With the help of a tracker using coordinates, the suspect’s vehicle was traced to an area in Wumba, Apo.

“Acting on this intelligence, the Police operatives from Apo Division swiftly mobilised to the scene, searched the entire axis and subsequently traced the suspect to a hotel in Lokogoma later in the night and arrested the suspect.

“During interrogation, the suspect confessed that he only faked his own kidnap to prank the lady he intended to marry to know if she really loved him.”