The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has arrested three suspected members of a notorious armed robbery syndicate and recovered 10 stolen vehicles in Kaduna State.
According to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Okon Placid, the arrests were made by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department – Special Tactical Squad (FID-STS) on March 16, 2026.
“The Nigeria Police Force, through the Force Intelligence Department – Special Tactical Squad (FID-STS), has recorded a major operational breakthrough with the arrest of three notorious armed robbery suspects and the recovery of 10 stolen vehicles in Kaduna State,” he said.
The suspects were identified as Abubakar Musa (36), Hassan Umar (30), and Joshua Raphael (20).
Police investigations revealed that Musa, the alleged leader of the group, is a dismissed corporal of the Nigerian Army who had been impersonating a serving soldier to evade arrest.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the principal suspect, Abubakar Musa, is a dismissed corporal of the Nigerian Army who has been impersonating a serving soldier to evade detection while carrying out armed robbery operations with his accomplices,” Placid stated.
Further findings showed that the syndicate specialised in stealing and transporting vehicles, often tampering with registration details to conceal their identity.
“Further findings indicate that the syndicate specialised in the theft and movement of stolen vehicles, often removing or altering registration details to conceal their identity and ownership,” he added.
The police said the operation led to the recovery of 10 vehicles of different brands, including Toyota Hilux trucks, Toyota Corolla cars, a Pontiac Vibe GT, a Honda vehicle, a Lexus car and a Toyota RAV4 SUV, many of which had no registration numbers.
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, commended the operatives for their professionalism.
“The Inspector-General of Police commends the operatives for their professionalism and reiterates the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to combating criminal activities and ensuring the safety of lives and property,” the statement added.
