THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested over 40 suspected members of a criminal syndicate in Gishiri village.
The suspects were arrested during raids on marked black spots in the area.
A statement released on Monday, April 10, by the Command spokesperson, Josephine Adeh disclosed that the suspects had inflicted hardship, panic and apprehension on residents through their criminal activities.
She noted that the suspects were apprehended after three undisclosed sources complained to the police.
“The complaint alleged some ex-convicts namely Awalu, Balo, and Baba Ali, to have masterminded and inflicted hardship, panic, and apprehension on residents through their criminal acts including but not limited to the following as quoted in one of the complaints.”
According to the statement, the suspects were involved in various criminal activities including consumption and peddling of illicit drugs, intimidation, attack, assault on innocent citizens and dispossessing them of their valuables.
“Possession and usage of dangerous weapons both day and night, with reference to the incident of 30th March 2023 where over ten (10) people were stabbed and brutalised with cutlasses and many vehicles destroyed; they have no regard for elders and leaders of the community; creating a bad image for the community; they have no respect to custom and tradition; they attack and obstruct Policemen or vigilante from arresting any suspect when the need arises,” the statement added.
The Police noted that it applied force on some of the suspects to restore order and peace.
“They were repulsive and violent all through the process of arrest and at the point of statement taking at the Division. The cut-to-suit narrative in the video in circulation was a scene of police officers trying to apply minimum force in restoring order to the distorted peace the arrest of the suspect brought to the Station.”
The statement noted that the suspects are being investigated and would be prosecuted.
The police also assured residents of Gishiri of its commitment to restoring peace and stability in the area.
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