The police in Kano have arrested three men accused of carrying out a violent robbery in Abuja last week, in which a family was attacked and their car stolen, authorities said Wednesday.
The suspects — identified as Ismail Imran, 20; Abdulaziz Yahaya, 31; and Musa Ibrahim Isah, 29, all residents of Rigasa Quarters in Kaduna State — were taken into custody on Sept. 6 during a joint surveillance operation by the police and local vigilantes, according to the command’s spokesman, SP Abdullahi Haruna.
During the raid, officers recovered a blue 2014 Toyota Corolla S, with registration number KWL-78 DN, its windshield smashed. The car, investigators said, had been taken from a family in Abuja’s Durumi neighborhood around 2 a.m. on Sept. 5.
“The vehicle’s owner confirmed that the suspects attacked his family, critically injured one and made away with the vehicle,” Mr. Haruna said in a statement.
The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, praised the operatives’ swift response and described the operation as evidence of the “importance of community-centered policing” advocated by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun.
The suspects, officials said, are assisting with investigations into the scope of their alleged criminal activities. The police urged residents to remain vigilant and to report suspicious behavior.
The arrests come amid a broader security sweep in Kano. Last week, Mr. Bakori announced that 107 people had been detained in August in connection with crimes including armed robbery, kidnapping, drug trafficking and motor vehicle theft.