The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has rescued two suspected “one chance” robbers from a mob attack in the Utako area of Abuja, while cautioning residents against engaging in jungle justice.
‘One chance’ refers to an organised form of robbery in which criminals disguise themselves as commercial drivers and passengers to lure unsuspecting victims into vehicles, where they are robbed, assaulted or kidnapped.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, the incident occurred on Thursday after the Utako Police Division received a distress call at about 11:00am.
Police operatives who responded to the call reportedly met an angry crowd attacking two male suspects, later identified as Kefas Akaye and Uya Ugwowere. The suspects were safely rescued from the mob before the situation escalated into a fatal incident.
The statement partly read, “Preliminary investigations revealed that the rescued suspects are members of a four-man gang involved in “one chance” robbery operations within the Federal Capital Territory.
“Further investigations revealed that they come into the FCT from Uke, Nasarawa State, to perpetrate their criminal activities.
“Two other members of the gang, identified simply as Mary and Aisha (surnames yet to be confirmed), had escaped the scene during the commotion.”
Adeh said investigations were ongoing to track down the fleeing suspects, while stressing that the command strongly condemns mob violence and extrajudicial actions.
She wrote, “The Command emphasises that the assault or lynching of suspects not only endangers innocent lives but also compromises investigations by destroying critical evidence and hindering the identification and arrest of accomplices.
“Such unlawful actions ultimately undermine the justice process and deny victims and society the benefits of lawful prosecution and possible restitution of stolen property.”
The police command appealed to residents to desist from taking the law into their hands and instead report suspicious activities to the nearest police station.
It was reported in January that the FCT Police Command arrested three suspects in connection with the killing of a legal practitioner, Chigbo Princess, allegedly linked to “one chance” armed robbery operations in Abuja.
Her body was reportedly discovered along the Kubwa Expressway, while her bag containing her identity card and other personal belongings was found a few metres away from the scene.
Advertisement
