Police operatives in Jigawa State have apprehended a 35-year-old man on charges of car theft, after he allegedly stole a vehicle from a dealership in neighboring Bauchi State. The Jigawa State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Lawan Shi’isu, revealed this information in a statement issued in Dutse.
According to Shi’isu, the suspect, who resides in Gwarinpa quarters of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, was arrested around 11:20 a.m. on a Sunday by the police in Birnin Kudu Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
The statement described the incident as follows: “On Sunday, at about 11:20 hours, a patrol team from Birnin Kudu Divisional Police Headquarters arrested a 35-year-old man of Gwarimpa Quarters, FCT, Abuja, in possession of a white Honda vehicle without a registration number, which was strongly suspected to be stolen.”
Efforts to stop the driver proved unsuccessful as he was driving at high speed, and he refused to slow down. In an attempt to evade the police, the suspect collided with a cyclist, resulting in the car being forcibly stopped.
The suspect subsequently abandoned the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot but was later apprehended and taken to the police station for questioning.
The police had received a distress call from neighboring Bauchi State, reporting that three unidentified individuals had visited S Fawa Motors along Murtala Muhammad Way in Bauchi. They posed as prospective buyers of the stolen car and requested a test drive before making payment. However, during the test drive, one of the salesmen who accompanied them was forcefully expelled from the vehicle, and the suspects fled with the car, leaving him stranded.
The rightful owner of the stolen car was identified as Usman Zubairu of Federal Lowcost, Bauchi.
The Jigawa State Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Ekot, ordered that the case be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at Police Headquarters in Dutse for a thorough investigation.
Upon completion of the investigation, the suspect will be charged to court, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend the other suspects who fled the scene.