The Nigeria Police Force on Friday said it has dismantled a notorious armed robbery syndicate in Kaduna State, arresting a dismissed soldier and two other suspects.
The suspects, identified as Abubakar Musa, 36; Hassan Umar, 30; and Joshua Raphael, 20, were apprehended by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department – Special Tactical Squad (FID-STS) on March 16, 2026.
Announcing in a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Okon Placid, it disclosed that the ringleader, Musa, is a dismissed Army Corporal who had been posing as a serving personnel to facilitate the gang’s criminal operations.
Placid said, “Preliminary investigations revealed that the principal suspect, Abubakar Musa, is a dismissed Corporal of the Nigerian Army who has been impersonating a serving soldier to evade detection while carrying out armed robbery operations with his accomplices.”
According to the police, the syndicate specialized in snatching vehicles and altering their registration details to prevent tracking by the original owners or security agencies.
Items recovered from the suspects include ten vehicles of various brands. Among the recovered fleet are Toyota Hilux trucks, Toyota Corolla cars, a Toyota RAV4 SUV, a Lexus car, a Pontiac Vibe GT, and a Honda vehicle.
The police noted that several of the vehicles were discovered without registration numbers at the time of the recovery.
The Force PRO added that efforts are currently being intensified to arrest other fleeing members of the gang.
“Investigations are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate and recover additional exhibits,” the statement added.
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, commended the operatives for the breakthrough and reiterated the Force’s commitment to protecting the lives and property of Nigerians.