By Hassan Zaggi
The Joint Task Force of Operation safe FCT, has disclosed that since the two weeks, it has arrested 135 suspects at various black spots within the Federal Capital Territory and borders towns bordering the capital city.
The FCT Commissioner of Polce (CP), Haruna Garba, disclosed this at a media briefing in Abuja, on Thursday.
The CP also disclosed that the Task Force, has, in the past two weeks, drastically reduced the deadly practice of One Chance in the FCT.
It would be recalled that the Joint Task Force of Operation safe FCT was recently launched by the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike.
The aim of the Task Force is to flush out criminal elements out of the FCT, most especially the armed hoodlums disturbing the peace of the residents of the area who reside at the boundaries with Niger, Nassarawa, Kogi and Kaduna state.
In line with the mandate, the CP said, the Joint Task Force comprising of the NPF, Military, NSCDC and DTRS carried out coordinated raids of criminal hideouts, uncompleted buildings, shanties and of course clearance operations in the bushes and forest bordering the FCT.
According to him: “In the course of the operation, the joint Task Force arrested 135 suspects at various black spots located at; Kwali, Dutse Alhaji, Mpape, Karu, AYA, Nyaya, Karimo, Karshi, Kuje, Airport road, Berger Roundabout, Jabi, Orozo and Mararaba etc.
“Out of these numbers, 75 suspects were arraigned in court for various offences, while 65 were sentenced to pay fine ranging from N5000 – N7000, the remaining ten were sentenced to community service.
“It is a pleasure to inform you that the 39 suspects we are parading today have been under interrogation and will be charged to court at the conclusion of the investigation. Out of this number, 8 suspects are suspected to be members of one chance syndicate, as knives, handcuffs and swords were recovered from their vehicles.”
On the efforts made the phase out the One Chance operators, the CP said: “I am happy to inform you that the incidence of one chance, armed robbery and abduction have reduced significantly in the last two weeks in the FCT since the launch of the operation.
“I wish to reiterate the commitment of the Joint Task Force to aggressively flush out miscreants from the FCT.”
He, therefore, enjoined residents of the FCT “to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to the Police and other law enforcement agencies. Your cooperation is required if we must defeat crime and criminality.”
The CP further explained that: “In the course of the two weeks operation, 54 vehicles have been impounded.
“A substantial number of the vehicles are without number plates, others with tinted glasses, others with only plate numbers in front while others has only plate numbers at the back.
“Offending drivers/owners of these vehicles will soon be arraigned in court. In addition, 2 locally fabricated guns, one locally made berretta pistol, one revolver double barrel gun with two live cartridges were recovered. Also recovered are 3 full bags of leaves suspected to be cannabis sativa and quite a number of wraps of Indian hemp and illicit drugs.”
