The Kaduna State Police Command has successfully apprehended three individuals suspected of car theft, according to a statement by ASP Mansir Hassan, the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, on Monday.
The arrests were made by police operatives attached to Zaria City Divisional Headquarters on December 23, 2023, at Agoro-Tudun Wada Zaria. One of the suspects, a 28-year-old from Hayin Baki Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, was found in possession of a stolen red Toyota Corolla with the registration number Kano GWL 188 TT at the time of arrest.
In a related incident, operatives of Sabon Gari Zaria Division on the same date arrested another suspect, recovering a grey-colored Toyota Corolla LE 2003 model. The apprehended individual confessed to stealing the vehicle in Kaduna town and transporting it to Zaria for disposal. Notably, the suspect was identified as a dismissed soldier known for involvement in car snatching, theft, and other crimes in Benin, Kaduna, and Zaria.
Additionally, on December 27, 2023, operatives of Sabon Gari Zaria Division arrested a third suspect from Graceland Zaria, in possession of a stolen white Toyota Hilux pickup van with registration number Jigawa GML 40 AG. The suspect claimed to have purchased the van from an individual named Ibrahim, whose full surname remains unknown. The legitimate owner of the stolen van, residing on Aliyu Mohammed Road, NDA Kaduna, has been traced.
All three cases are currently under investigation, and efforts are underway to apprehend the accomplices of the suspects. Once the investigations are concluded, the suspects will face legal proceedings.
The Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State Command, Audu Ali, commended the operatives for their success and urged them to continue denying criminal elements operating space in the state. He encouraged the public to provide security agencies with credible information on suspicious individuals for prompt action.