By Linus Aleke, Abuja
The Joint Task Force of Operation Safe FCT has arrested no fewer than one hundred and thirty-five suspected criminals 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.
The Joint Task Force of Operation Safe FCT was inaugurated by the Minister of FCT, Barr. Nyesom Wike to flush out criminal elements out of the Federal Capital Territory, comprised of the NPF, Military, NSCDC and DTRS.
The Commissioner of Police FCT Police Command, CP Haruna Garba, made this disclosure while briefing the crime correspondent, at the the parading of 39 suspects and exhibits.
He noted that out of the 135 arrested suspects, seventy-five were arraigned in court for various offences, while sixty-five were sentenced to pay fines ranging from N5000 – N7000.
He added that the remaining ten were sentenced to community service.
He noted that operations safe FCT are put together to tackle armed hoodlums disturbing the peace of the residents of the FCT who reside at boundaries with Niger, Nassarawa, Kogi and Kaduna state.
In line with the mandate of the operation, he said that the Joint Task Force carried out coordinated raids of criminal hideouts, uncompleted buildings, shanties and of course clearance operations in the bushes and forest bordering the FCT.
This is as the FCT Police Command, said that it has impounded 54 vehicles, in two weeks, as part of an effort to rid the territory of the menace of a chance criminal syndicate terrorizing the capital city.
The CP said, “The 39 suspects we are parading today have been under interrogation and will be charged to court after the investigation. Out of this number, eight suspects are suspected to be members of one chance syndicate, as knives, handcuffs and swords were recovered from their vehicles. In the course of the two weeks of operation, fifty-four 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 have only plate numbers at the back. Offending drivers/owners of these vehicles will soon be arraigned in court. In addition, two (2) locally fabricated guns, one locally made Berretta pistol, and one revolver double barrel gun with two live cartridges were recovered. Also recovered are three full bags of leaves suspected to be cannabis sativa and quite several wraps of Indian hemp and illicit drugs”.
He concluded 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 joint operation.
