A 29-year-old member of a notorious criminal syndicate, Emmanuel Okoi, has been arrested by Police Operatives attached to the FCT Police Command.
Emmanuel Okoi was arrested after an all-night pursuit and an aggressive man-hunt of armed hoodlums, who on Wednesday shot a resident dead during the operation at Maitama area of Abuja.
NigeriaCrime.com reports that the police also recovered the SUV with diplomatic plate number stolen by the kidnapping gang during the operation.
Confirming the incident, DSP Josephine Adeh, Public Relations Officer FCT Police Command said the arrest and recovery of the vehicle after a seven-hour manhunt.
According to Adeh, “The FCT Police Command on Thursday 13th of October 2022, at about 3:30 pm after an all-night pursuit and an aggressive man-hunt of armed hoodlums, recovered the Maitama gun-point stolen vehicle and arrested one suspect.
“Recall that On October 12, 2022, at about 8 pm two residents, a male and a female, drove into a pharmacy in the Maitama District area of the FCT. While the female proceeded into the pharmacy, the male remained by the car waiting.
“It was thereafter reported that some armed hoodlums numbering about 6 came in a Mazda vehicle and forced him into Toyota Landcruiser Jeep with Diplomatic Registration Number GD CD 071, and took off with him.
“Unfortunately, a passerby who attempted to come to his aid was shot in the head and later confirmed dead at the Maitama District Hospital.
“Consequent upon the above, the Commissioner of Police FCT Command CP Babaji Sunday deployed several Tactical and Intelligence apparatuses at the Command’s disposal on an aggressive manhunt for the miscreants and the recovery of the stolen vehicle.
“7 hours later, The painstaking effort of the Command yielded results as the vehicle was recovered at Jabi Magajipi, off Eco Bank Junction Jabi, while one Emmanuel Okoi, a 29 years old male resident of Jabi and a suspected member of the criminal syndicate was arrested.
“As part of the investigation, an identification parade was conducted where the victim identified the suspect as one of his six abductors. An investigation has been intensified and unfolding facts will be communicated subsequently.
“The Commissioner of Police while debriefing the Officers charged them to not relent until fleeing members of the criminal syndicate are arrested and an end is brought to their criminal enterprise as well as other crime and criminality in the area and the FCT as a whole.
“He also wishes to reassure the good people of the Territory of the Command’s unalloyed stance to continually upgrade the security architecture of the Territory to proactively/actively match up and surmount crime in its dynamics.
“Members of the public are therefore enjoined to go about their lawful businesses without the fear of harassment or molestation of any kind and from any quarters but to keep vigilance and make a prompt rendition of distress calls/complaints through the following emergency lines: 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653, and 08028940883, while the Public Complaint Bureau (PCB) desk, could be reached on: 0902 222 2352.”