Police Smash Robbery Syndicate In Jos

JOS, August 25, (THEWILL) - Plateau State Police Command today paraded 12 suspected armed robbers who broke into the residence of a police officer and robbed him of his Toyota corolla, $300 dollars, N 5,000.00 cash and nine sets of mobile phones.

The suspects were said to have forcefully gained entry into the residence of the police officer at the Rock Haven Street in Jos and tied him up alongside other members of his family before robbing him.

The police said they were able to nab the suspects when acting on a tip-of, they went to the hideout of the syndicate and arrested two of the suspects and recovered the Toyota corolla car, the sum of N19, 620.00, and six mobile phones.

Plateau State Police Commissioner, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba said the items recovered from the syndicate include one locally made pistol with a live cartridge, black carved wooded rifle, a respiratory gas mask, military camouflage face cap, military belts, a canister of teargas, 2 pairs of brown anklets, a plain military ID card, and ID cards of Computer Science Students Association of Kaduna State University.

He said one other suspect was arrested after sending a 'hair-splitting' text message to a family to either deposit huge sums of money into a designated bank account or risk getting killed.

Mr. Aduba added that when the command got the tip-off a dragnet was spread throughout the entire country and suspected culprit was caught while attempting to cash a cheque from the proceeds of his windfall at a bank in an eastern state.

He urged members of the public to always report such cases to the police instead of submitting to the demand of the blackmailers adding that the suspects would be prosecuted at the end of police investigation.

The Police Commissioner advised members of the public to go about their legitimate businesses without any fear or intimidation.