The Nigeria Police Special Tactical Squad (STS) has smashed a two-man car stealing gang led by one Bashir Isiaku, 34, allegedly specialised in stealing cars from the car park of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH).
Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), DCP Frank Mba, in a press statement, Tuesday in Abuja, said: “The arrest of Bashir, a graduate of one of the Federal Polytechnics, came after painstaking efforts and investigations by operatives of the STS to hunt down the criminals.
“Bashir and his accomplice, Aminu Yakubu, specialise in using customized master key, crafted out of screwdriver to open and start vehicles. Police investigations show that their choices of cars are ones without special security features such as pedal or steering locks. A total of 21 vehicles have so far been recovered from the hoodlums and their criminal receivers.”
The spokesperson said, “The following criminal receivers have also been arrested: in Funtua – Rilwanu Garba, Ibrahim Hassan, Kabiru Aliyu, Sikiru Danjuma, Bashir Abba; in Sokoto – Dodo Danbello, Mudeen Adelera, Nasiru Bello, Hassan Bawa; in Kucheri – Magazine Garba; in Tsafe – Yushehu Abdullahi; in Gusau – Abdurazaq Adekoya; and in Marafa – Kabiru Aliyu.”
Mba said the recovered vehicles comprise two Opel Vectra, one Toyota Camry, one Honda CRV, two Toyota Carinae, seven Golf-3, one Toyota Corolla, six Honda Civic and one Toyota Avensis.
Je said the suspects claimed that they found it easy to steal in JUTH due to the lax security at premises, even as investigations revealed that their choice cars were Toyota, Honda, and Volkswagen especially the Golf brand because these brand of cars were in high demand by criminal receivers, either in whole or in parts, across the country and other neighboring countries.
The spokesperson said, “In the light of the above, members of the public whose cars were stolen between January 2019 and March 2020, within the premises of JUTH are advised to come forward for possible identification and recovery.
Nigerians are equally enjoined to take extra measures to secure their cars by utilizing special security features such as steering or pedal locks, tracking systems, etc.
” In the same vein, institutions and organizations are encouraged to enhance security and access control within their premises to minimize the possibility of theft and other mischief by criminals.”
He said all the suspects would be charged to court at the conclusion of investigations.
Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu, has assured Nigerians of the continued commitment of the Force to the protection of lives and property as well as ridding the country of crime especially during this lockdown period.
