Police arrest 307 suspected criminals after raiding hideouts in Abuja

According to the Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), 307 individuals were taken into custody during raids on certain criminal hideouts located along the Dei-Dei – Zuba axis of the territory.

This was said at a media conference on Monday in Abuja by Mr. Benneth Igweh, the Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of the Federal Capital Territory.

He said that when he led the command's tactical team to raid the hideouts on Sunday, the suspects—293 men and 14 women—were taken into custody.

Igweh claimed that the group consisted of members of the recently launched "Operation Velvet," which was designed to raid designated "black spots" within the area.

According to the CP, the suspects were apprehended at a designated black area in the Dei-Dei-Zuba axis known as "Gidan Dambe," where kidnappers from Niger, Kaduna, and other villages typically congregate to unwind.

He said that one of the suspects, who claimed to be an employee of the Department of State Services (DSS), had one English pistol and fifteen rounds of live ammunition recovered from them.

According to Igweh, the suspects had firearms, motorbikes, illegal substances, suspected Indian hemp, handguns, and other potentially lethal weapons found on them.

According to him, valuables that were allegedly taken from law-abiding citizens had also been found.

The CP stated that after the screening and investigation were over, the suspects would face charges in court.

Igweh issued a warning to individuals conducting illegal business in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as "Gidan Dambe" to stop providing sanctuary to criminals or prepare to face legal action. 

Source