The Nigeria Police Force has arrested a dismissed soldier who allegedly led an armed robbery syndicate while impersonating a serving military officer, alongside two accomplices, and recovered ten stolen vehicles in Kaduna State.
The operation, carried out by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department – Special Tactical Squad (FID-STS), led to the arrest of the suspects: Abubakar Musa (36), Hassan Umar (30), and Joshua Raphael (20), on March 16, 2026, following coordinated intelligence-driven efforts.
In a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Placid, preliminary investigations revealed that the principal suspect, Abubakar Musa, is a dismissed Corporal of the Nigerian Army who had been posing as a serving soldier to evade law enforcement while carrying out criminal activities.
“The principal suspect, Abubakar Musa, is a dismissed member of the Nigerian Army who resorted to impersonating a serving soldier as a cover for his criminal operations,” Placid stated.
According to the Force, the suspects are part of a syndicate that specialised in armed robbery and the theft of vehicles, which were subsequently altered to conceal their identity.
“The syndicate is known for stealing vehicles and tampering with or completely removing their registration details in a bid to disguise ownership and evade detection,” the statement added.
The police disclosed that the operation led to the recovery of ten vehicles of different brands, including Toyota Hilux trucks, Toyota Corolla cars, a Pontiac Vibe GT, a Honda vehicle, a Lexus car, and a Toyota RAV4 SUV, with several of the recovered vehicles found without registration numbers.
“This recovery underscores the scale of the syndicate’s operations and the sophistication of their methods in attempting to rebrand stolen vehicles,” the Force noted.
The Nigeria Police further revealed that investigations are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the criminal network and recover additional exhibits linked to the syndicate.
“Efforts are ongoing to track down other members of the syndicate who are currently at large and to recover more stolen property connected to their activities,” the statement said.
Commending the operatives for their professionalism and dedication, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, reiterated the Force’s commitment to tackling criminality across the country.
“The Nigeria Police Force remains steadfast in its commitment to combating organised crime and ensuring the safety of lives and property nationwide,” the statement affirmed.
