Police Arrest Suspected Car Burglars, Internet Fraudsters In Niger

A suspected gang of car burglars known as ‘Open and Close’ have been arrested by the Police in Niger state.

The suspects who operate mostly around banking areas make use of a special fabricated key to burgle people’s cars.

Parading the suspects at the Police Headquarters in Minna, the Public Relations Officer DSP Abubakar Dan-Inna said the suspects, 33-year-old Chibuke Uzumba and 35-year-old Ogochukwu Chimaka specialise in monitoring and waylaying persons who come to the bank to withdraw money.

Also paraded were four suspects who specialise in internet fraud, 29-year-old Ahmed Alabi, 28-year-old Chinedu Eche, 29-year-old Chibuzor Ogochukwu, and 30-year-old Okechukwu Ogochukwu.

DSP Dan-Inna said the suspects were arrested following a report by one Kabiru Babayo to the ‘B’ Division Suleja that he was attacked and robbed of his wallet containing one Automated Teller Machine card, money and a cellphone by occupants of a tricycle he boarded.

He disclosed that the suspects also forced their victim to divulge his ATM Personal Identification Number (PIN) to them, which they later used in siphoning 0.6 Million Naira from his account.

According to the Police Spokesman, the suspects during investigation confessed to luring and doping unsuspecting persons as well as swapping bank customers’ ATM PINs at ATM withdrawal points while posing as assistants.

Others paraded include suspected cattle rustlers, kidnappers, and robbers.

Giving a breakdown of items recovered from the suspects, DSP Dan-Inna said two AK47 rifles, 14 live ammunition and one Beretta Pistol with four live ammunition and motorcycles.

Meanwhile, the Command has disclosed that it arrested 213 suspects in 2019 which include 55 kidnappers, 48 armed robbers, 15 cattle rustlers, and rape suspects.