Police in the FCT say they have arrested two suspects in Abuja over “one chance’’ con trap, rescued a female victim and recovered N401,000.
Police Public Relations Officer in the FCT, DSP Josephine Adeh, made the disclosure in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday.
“One chance’’ is a crime in which assailants pose as cab drivers and passengers, take victims, particularly female commuters into their cabs and dispossess them of their valuables.
DSP Adeh said the suspects in this instance were arrested by operatives of Wuse Division of the police on “stop-and-search’’ duty to specially look out for victims of “one-chance’’ criminals.
She stated that exhibits recovered from the suspects were one black Toyota Corolla car, their operational vehicle, N401,000, Point-of-Sale machine, four mobile phones, two sharp knives, ropes, foreign currency notes and duct tape.
She said preliminary investigations by the police revealed that the two suspects posed as taxi driver and passenger waiting to pick other passengers.
“In this instance, the suspects picked up the victim who had just closed from work.
“On their way to her destination, the assailants locked the car, changed the route, tied her up and demanded for her ATM card.
“They also threatened to rape and kill her if she doesn’t cooperate with them,” she stated.
She said N391,000 was withdrawn from the victim’s account via ATM and POS transactions, adding that the N10,000 cash in her possession was also collected.
Adeh added that one of the suspects, who tried to evade arrest, was intercepted by the Commissioner of Police in charge of FCT, Mr Sunday Babaji, who was also, on routine confidence building patrol around the axis.
She stated that Mr Babaji pledged the commitment of the command to curtail the activities of “one chance’’ and other criminal elements in the FCT.
He enjoined residents to continue to support the police, particularly, by reporting all suspicious movements, emergencies and distresses, through 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653 and 08028940883.
Babaji also pledged to ensure diligent investigations and prosecution of the suspects.
He warned all perpetrators of “one-chance’’ and other forms of crimes and criminality within the FCT to desist forthwith, adding that, the law would surely catch up with them. (NAN)