Police bust stolen jewellery dealers cartel in Abuja
The Nigeria Police Force has uncovered a cartel trading in jewels worth billions of Naira seized during armed robbery operations in Abuja and surrounding areas.According to the Force spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the cartel was caught when a police officer assigned to the Force Headquarters in Abuja, in the Lugbe region of the Federal Capital Territory, was robbed at his apartment on April 28, 2024.
According to him, the officer was nearly smothered, and a secured safe containing jewelry, money, academic certificates, documents, phones, and other valuable property belonging to various residents of the compound was taken away.
Adejobi said in a statement that CCTV footage captured the suspect at the crime scene and was useful in forensic investigations.
According to the Force spokesman, the jewelry was traced back to Alhaji Auwal, a member of the FCT Gold Dealers Association, and 26 people have been arrested in connection with the case.
The statement added, "Subsequent investigations linked the stolen products to Wuse Market, where they were purportedly purchased by one Alhaji Auwal. Despite police cautions to the FCT Gold Dealers Association not to purchase stolen gold using their joint WhatsApp channel, Alhaji Auwal facilitated the transaction and advised his accomplices on how to handle it.
"Further investigations by the Force Intelligence Department found that Alhaji Auwal, his sons, and other accomplices are members of a cartel that trades in stolen jewelry. This group has been associated with prior similar cases.
According to the Force spokesman, the jewelry was traced back to Alhaji Auwal, a member of the FCT Gold Dealers Association, and 26 people have been arrested in connection with the case.
The statement added, "Subsequent investigations linked the stolen products to Wuse Market, where they were purportedly purchased by one Alhaji Auwal. Despite police cautions to the FCT Gold Dealers Association not to purchase stolen gold using their joint WhatsApp channel, Alhaji Auwal facilitated the transaction and advised his accomplices on how to handle it.
The statement added, "Subsequent investigations linked the stolen products to Wuse Market, where they were purportedly purchased by one Alhaji Auwal. Despite police cautions to the FCT Gold Dealers Association not to purchase stolen gold using their joint WhatsApp channel, Alhaji Auwal facilitated the transaction and advised his accomplices on how to handle it.
The police spokeswoman stated that, contrary to reports, the heist did not place in the Inspector General of Police's apartment.
He stated, "We want to make it clear that no robbery, burglary, or theft occurred in the IGP's apartment or any of the Nigeria Police Force's official facilities.
"Those who claim the robbery, burglary, or theft occurred at the IG's residence obviously do not know what the IG's residence looks like; otherwise, they would have known that no robber, burglar, or thief can get close to the residence of Nigeria's Inspector General of Police and current chairman of the West Africa Chiefs of Police Committee.
"Assuming, in the most unlikely scenario that such robbery, burglary, or theft occurred at the IGP's apartment, we should be discussing the number of police officers detained rather than this ring of armed criminals. To emphasize, the entire neighbourhood of IG residences is reinforced, safe, and secure from such security breaches and criminal incidents."
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