The FCT Police Command has arrested more than 200 scavengers who have been hiding under the trade to terrorize residents, rob manholes, and vandalize people’s cars in the last two months.
This is just as officers of the command arrested three suspects in connection with the murder of a Bolt Driver, Obasi Okeke, in Abuja following the discovery of the victim, lying in a pool of his blood with a slit throat at Ngugu Close Area 11, Garki, Abuja.
The Commissioner of Police in Charge of the Command, Haruna Garba, made this known when he hosted the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in Charge of Zone 7, Adebowale Williams, on an operational visit to the command.
CP Garba said, “In the last two months, the Command has clamped down on the activities of the scavengers, otherwise known as ‘Babanbolas’ whose habit is to destroy the critical infrastructure in the FCT.
“Their activities have become a source of concern and threat to the residents of the FCT. They have been involved in the theft and destruction of critical infrastructure in the FCT. In the last two months, 212 scavengers have been arrested and arraigned in Court.”
He expressed concern that those arrested were caught red-handed destroying critical assets in the FCT.
On the killers of the bolt driver, Garba said a discreet investigation by the police to ascertain the perpetrators of the dastardly act led to the arrest of the three suspects.
“In the course of the investigation, the police discovered that the deceased was a bolt driver who was called by one of the suspects to convey them to Guzape Area of Abuja.
“On the way to Guzape, the suspects asked the bolt driver to take them to a place to buy Indian hemp. When they returned to their takeoff point, they discovered they had no money to pay for their trip.
The CP said, “They then showed the deceased a fake debit alert on one of their phones claiming they had transfered the money, but the deceased insisted that he had not received any alert.
“In the ensuing argument, one of the suspects brought out a knife, slit the deceased’s throat, and fled from the scene”.
He said the three suspects had confessed to committing the crime and that they would be charged in court upon completion of the investigation.
Further, CP Garba said the command on July 18 arrested three suspects over kidnapping in the Jikowyi area of the FCT.
He said the suspects were arrested following actionable intelligence and with the support of a patriotic individual.
In his remarks, AIG Adebowale Williams said the current security challenges in the country were a bit difficult to end because non-state actors like bandits, insurgents, kidnappers, armed robbers, and other criminals were carrying out “guerrilla warfare”.
Williams, however, warned that no matter how hard they try to perpetuate criminalities in the nooks and crannies of the country and continue the non-conventional warfare against the nation, they will be smoked out and smashed in no distant time.
His words, “The duty of the police is to prevent crime. However, where crime occurs, it is our duty to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators.
“The question is, how successful are we? Modern-day policing in a democratic setting like ours cannot be without its own share of challenges.
“The current challenges are from the activities of non-state actors, bandits and insurgents, kidnappers, and armed robbers.
“Evolution in technology has its own share of consequences.
“The modus operandi of these non-state actors, which is mostly non-conventional (guerrilla warfare), makes it somewhat difficult to end the menace quickly.
“But one thing is certain: criminals have no hiding place; they will all be smoked out and smashed in no distant time”.
He added that “there is a need to take advantage of the Police Technical Intelligence Unit (TIU), Crime Database Unit, NPF National Cybercrime Section, and NPF Interpol, among others, to enhance our proactive policing, saying it is time to improve on visibility policing.”
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