By Adenike Lawal
A lightning-fast operation by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Police Command has led to the recovery of a stolen Toyota Land Cruiser SUV just 30 minutes after it was snatched at gunpoint in Garki, Abuja.
The black SUV, with registration number ABC 797, was forcefully taken around 8:35 PM on Wednesday, April 23, by five armed men dressed in black.
The assailants, who fired shots to scatter onlookers, sped off in the vehicle belonging to Alhaji Nasiru Aminu.
Acting on a distress call, the Divisional Police Officer escalated the alert to the Command’s Control Room.
The Rapid Response Squad was swiftly deployed, while surveillance teams led by Maitama DPO CSP Altine Daniel and supported by the Police Technical Intelligence Unit launched a real-time tracking operation.
With pressure closing in, the robbers abandoned the SUV under Banex Bridge and fled in a second vehicle. By 9:00 PM, the police had recovered the stolen SUV intact.
Officers found 9mm ammunition in the car, prompting deeper investigations into a robbery syndicate suspected to be behind recent attacks in Wuse and Maitama. A manhunt is ongoing to track down the suspects.
Commending his men, FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao S. Adewale, urged residents to install tracking devices in their vehicles and praised the coordination that led to the swift success.
This latest breakthrough underscores the growing effectiveness of police intelligence and the persistent threat posed by organized carjacking gangs in the capital.