The FCT Police Command has arrested Isaac Agbo, 19, for allegedly robbing and stabbing a pastor of Assemblies of God Church.
The suspect, who was in company of his friend, allegedly went to the home of Pastor John Jonathan at Karmajiji, Abuja and robbed him.
The suspects, who were resisted when they got to the pastor’s house, stabbed him with a knife and fled.
According to the police, the pastor was stabbed in the back and is recovering at an undisclosed hospital.
Addressing reporters on Wednesday in Abuja, the Commissioner of Police in charge of FCT, Bala Ciroma, said recent measures put in place by the command has led to smashing of notorious criminal syndicates, arrest of hardened criminals, recovery of dangerous weapons and other exhibits.
The CP, represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Criminal Investigation Department, DCP Salisu Gyadi, said 84 other suspects were arrested for crimes.
The command also recovered 25 vehicles from a gang of nine, phones, locally fabricated rifles, knives, cutlasses, daggers, hammers, axes and other weapons.
Twenty-three packs of solution used as intoxicant, 43 bottles of cough syrups containing codeine, hundreds of Exol tablet and hundreds of Dizapam tablets were also recovered.
Narrating how Agbo was arrested, the CP said: “On February 8, at about 2030 hours, a report was received of a robbery in progress at the home of one Pastor John in Karmajiji, Abuja. Police operatives moved to the scene and met the pastor in a pool of blood. A locally made pistol and dagger were abandoned by the robbers while they were escaping.
“In the course of trailing the robbers, Isaac Agbo, 19, of Games Village, Abuja, was arrested and he confessed to the crime. He said when they got to the pastor’s house, they met resistance. Consequently they stabbed the pastor at the back and ran when he raised the alarm.”
The CP said Agbo’s accomplice, one Ibrahim, is at large, adding that efforts are on to arrest him.
The command also apprehended a gang of four suspected armed robbers, who specialised in snatching cars and receiving stolen cars.
The suspects, Ibrahim Abubakar, Usman Bala, Abubakar Sani and Murtala Mohammed, specialise in stealing and snatching cars at shopping malls.
On how they were arrested, the CP said: “They had an accident around Federal Secretariat in Abuja after snatching a car. They tried to escape, but the police, who were pursuing them, nabbed them. The suspects confessed having stolen a Honda Accord EOD at a shopping mall at the Central Area, a Mercedes Benz at Jinifa Plaza, also at the Central Area, a Mercedes Benz ML at Next Cash and Carry and three Toyota Camry pencil light models.
“According to the suspects, they used a knife or gun to dispossess their victims of their cars, snatching their valuables before leaving. The suspects confessed that Murtala Mohammed and one Danjuma, who is at large, were the receivers of the stolen cars. The receivers sell the cars somewhere in Kebbi State and usually forge new papers for the vehicles.”
The police boss said efforts are being intensified to arrest Danjuma and recover the stolen vehicles.
