Four people have reportedly been apprehended by the Nasarawa police command by agents posing as members of the state’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The state’s police spokesperson, Ramhan Nansel, claimed in a statement on Thursday that a Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa student had been kidnapped by fictitious EFCC agents during a robbery operation.
According to Nansel, the suspects were part of a network that engaged in robberies against polytechnic students.
“On 17/04/2024 at about 1545hrs, a distress call was received that four individuals posing as EFCC personnel, using a Toyota Corolla green in colour with registration number Abuja YAB 509 TT robbed some students of Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa at Samakwe Lodge behind Government College, Nasarawa LGA and abducted one Audu Kingsley, an ND two student of the same Polytechnic,” the statement reads.
“Reacting to the unsavoury development, police operatives gave the suspects a hot chase and a roadblock was mounted at Laminga Junction to stop the suspects from escaping with the victim, but they hit the barrier and fled.
“Furthermore, police operatives at Anguwan Madugu called to mount another roadblock which the suspects sighted from a distance; they abandoned their operational vehicle and the abducted student and fled.
“Luck ran out of one of the suspects as he was caught and beaten mercilessly by an angry mob before the arrival of the police while others fled.
“The suspect was rescued by the police and rushed to Primary Health care, Laminga where he died while receiving treatment.
“The operational vehicle of the suspects was recovered and taken to the station where a search was conducted and two identification cards identifying the fleeing members of the syndicate were recovered.”
Nansel said the police conducted a follow-up investigation which led to the arrest of the remaining three suspects residing at Customs Quarters and the upmarket area of Masaka.
The police spokesperson said one iPhone 12 Promax, one Tecno Spark 5 and a fake EFCC ID card were recovered from the suspects as exhibits.
He further said the suspects confessed to the crime, adding that they had also been identified by some victims of their activities.
