Officers of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have foiled an attempt by suspected armed robbers to transport vandalised electricity distribution armoured cables to buyers in Abuja.
The suspects were conveying the stolen cables in a tinted vehicle on Friday when they encountered a police patrol team.
In an attempt to evade arrest, the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which crashed, allowing the occupants to flee the scene.
A search of the abandoned vehicle led to the recovery of 131 vandalised electricity distribution cables believed to have been removed from damaged transformers and power installations.
Briefing journalists in Abuja, the FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Miller Dantawaye, said the recovery was part of sustained efforts by the command to curb crime across the territory.
Dantawaye disclosed that since assuming duty in October 2025, the command has arrested 160 criminal suspects for offences including armed robbery, kidnapping, “one-chance” robbery, car theft, cultism, illegal possession of firearms and cyber-related fraud.
He said nine armed suspects were neutralised during gun duels with police operatives while attempting to evade arrest or escape with hostages during high-risk operations.
According to the police commissioner, a total of 300 cases were reported within the period, including seven kidnapping cases that led to the arrest of 41 suspects and the rescue of 24 victims, among them women and children.
He added that 62 armed robbery cases resulted in the arrest of 38 suspects, while 26 “one-chance” robbery incidents led to the arrest of 12 suspects. Thirty-five cases of car theft and vehicle snatching were also recorded, with 11 suspects arrested and 20 stolen vehicles recovered.
Dantawaye said 96 suspects had been charged to court, with 60 convictions secured, while other cases remain at various stages of prosecution.
He further disclosed that the command recovered firearms and exhibits including 21 AK-47 rifles, 10 shotguns, one K2 rifle, 37 locally made pistols, 193 rounds of live ammunition, illicit drugs, cash totalling N15.45 million, and other items linked to criminal activities.
The commissioner said six police officers lost their lives in the line of duty during the period under review.
Dantawaye assured residents that the command would continue to strengthen intelligence-led policing, community engagement and inter-agency collaboration to address security challenges in the FCT, while urging the public to provide timely and credible information to the police.
