FCT Police nab four suspects, thwart planned Independence Day attack

Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have arrested four suspects allegedly plotting to attack government institutions and estates in Abuja during Nigeria’s Independence Day celebrations.

The suspects were apprehended in their hideout in the Sauka area following an intelligence report on their activities.

In a statement on Thursday, the command spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, identified the suspects as Yau Sani (aka Baba), an ex-convict, Nuhu (aka Giwa), Kabiru Mohammed, and Yusuf Hassan. Adeh disclosed that the suspects confessed to multiple kidnappings across the FCT, Kaduna, and Niger States, as well as the murder of seven individuals.

“The Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the FCT Police Command, acting on credible intelligence, tracked and arrested the four notorious kidnappers on October 1st, 2024,” Adeh said.

She explained that the suspects had been terrorizing residents of the FCT and its neighboring areas, including Dakwa, Dawaki, Aco Estate, Dupe Village, Zuma Rock, and Kuchiko Village, among other communities in Niger and Kaduna.

During interrogation, the suspects led police operatives to a forest in Niger State, where they had concealed their weapons. Four AK-47 rifles and 175 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the hideout.

Adeh further revealed that police were able to uncover another stash of arms at a hideout in Gauraka Forest, Suleja, Niger State, including 13 AK-47 magazines and 162 rounds of 7.6 mm live ammunition.

The suspects also admitted to planning attacks on government institutions and estates within Abuja, which were thwarted by the police.

“The Command is committed to stamping out crime in the FCT and encourages residents to report any suspicious activities through the designated emergency lines,” Adeh concluded.