Operatives of the Lokoja Vigilante Group of Nigeria have arrested a 27-year-old man, Hassan Abdul, suspected to specialise in stealing motorcycles in Lokoja and its environs.
Abdul was apprehended on Friday evening in Lokoja.
The suspect, alleged to have stolen over 10 motorcycles in the past three months, is believed to be part of a syndicate responsible for a series of violent motorcycle thefts in the Kogi State capital.
Speaking on the arrest, Chief Hassan Yusuf, Commander of the Vigilante Group in the state, stated that Abdul was caught after stealing a motorcycle at GSM Village in Cantonment, Lokoja, on Thursday evening.
Yusuf explained that the syndicate typically operates between Ayinbga and Lokoja, with members travelling from Ayinbga to dismantle the stolen motorcycles in Lokoja before taking them back to Ayinbga.
The suspect, originally from Ayinbga in Kogi East, was arrested in the former Nassara Cinema area of Lokoja.
During interrogation, Abdul reportedly confessed to stealing motorcycles for the past three years. On the day of his arrest, he admitted to stealing a motorcycle parked at GSM Village in Cantonment, Lokoja.
“He said he uses a special key to unlock and steal motorcycles,” Yusuf disclosed.
Further investigations revealed that Abdul had stolen over 10 motorcycles in Lokoja, selling each for approximately N150,000.
Yusuf credited the success of the operation to the collaboration between security agencies and the timely sharing of information by journalists.
In response to the arrest, Comrade Salihu Abubakar, Chairman of the Kogi State chapter of the Association of Phone Technicians and Accessories Dealers, where the motorcycle was stolen, urged security agencies to ensure Abdul is prosecuted.
“A lot of our customers’ motorcycles have been stolen here. We have reported several cases to the security agencies. Thank God we were able to arrest one yesterday. We appeal to the security agencies to ensure this suspect is prosecuted,” Abubakar said.
He added that prosecuting Abdul would act as a deterrent to others involved in similar criminal activities.
