Police confirm increased car theft in Abuja, recover 21 stolen vehicles

The Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) said it has recovered 21 stolen vehicles and arrested 15 suspects over various cases of car theft in Abuja.

The Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of the FCT, Ajao Adewale, disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja on Friday.

He said six of the recovered vehicles had been returned to their rightful owners after due verification, while 13 were currently in the custody of the command.

According to him, in recent months, the command observed a concerning rise in certain crimes, particularly car theft and drug-related offences.

”In response, we undertook a comprehensive analysis of crime patterns and intensified our intelligence- led operations and targeted raids across various locations within the FCT.

”As a result of these proactive efforts, the command recorded significant breakthroughs with the arrest of 15 suspects and recovery of 21 vehicles in the month of April,” he said.

Mr Adewale said the command had also conducted extensive raids across several black spots in the FCT, which resulted in the arrest of 1,611 suspects.

He said many of the suspects arrested during the raid were linked to drug-related offences and other criminal activities.

He said substantial quantities of hard drugs and cannabis were recovered during the operations and were currently being held as exhibits pending further investigation and prosecution.

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Mr Adewale said the achievements reflected the command’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety of lives and property in the FCT.

”I wish to enjoin the public to always view police operations as a dedicated effort aimed at ridding the FCT of crime and making it a safe place for all to live and thrive.

”I urge FCT residents to always render their support, cooperation and timely information to aid us achieve this mandate,” he said.

(NAN)