The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has cracked a major violent crime case with the arrest of three suspected members of a ‘one-chance’ robbery syndicate, linked to the murder of an Abuja-based legal practitioner, Chigbo Princess Nwamaka Mediatrix.
Police Public Relations Officer of the command, SP Josephine Adeh, who disclosed this in a statement released on Sunday, said the suspects were arrested following directives by the Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye, to track down all those responsible for the killing and dismantle criminal gangs terrorising residents of the capital.
She revealed that police operatives attached to the command’s elite Scorpion Squad, led by ACP Victor Ogbeide Godfrey, swooped on the suspects between January 5 and 10, 2026, after deploying reconstructive digital intelligence to trace the victim’s mobile phone.
The operations, she added, spanned Dei-Dei, Dakwa and Dan-Tata communities in the Kubwa axis of Abuja.
The police said the suspects arrested are Saifullahi Yusuf, and his elder brother, Ishau Yusuf, both from Kaduna State and residents of Dan-Tata community, Dei-Dei, as well as Minka’ilu Jibril, also known as Dan-Hajia, from Kaduna State.
Furthermore, the statement said police investigations revealed that the suspects are part of a long-standing ‘one-chance’ armed robbery gang that operates intermittently across the FCT, especially during festive periods.
The police said Chigbo’s death occurred on January 5, 2026, at about 5:50pm, when she boarded a black Volkswagen Golf 3 car, along the Kubwa Expressway, unaware it was occupied by criminals.
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“Shortly after she entered the vehicle, the suspects reportedly wound up the tinted windows, brandished weapons and attempted to force her to pay ransom for her freedom.
“When she allegedly resisted, the suspects assaulted her and pushed her out of the moving vehicle along the expressway, leading to fatal injuries.
“The suspects confessed to stealing the victim’s Android phone, which they later sold at Dei-Dei for ₦120,000. Police said Minka’ilu Jibril received ₦30,000, Saifullahi Yusuf ₦15,000, while Ishau Yusuf and another suspect still at large, identified as Musa, shared the balance,” the police stated.
Following the arrest, the police said its officers recovered five scissors, two sharp daggers, two knives, a long chain used for restraining victims, and a plier, items believed to have been used in their criminal operations.
The command said investigations are ongoing and that efforts have been intensified to arrest the fleeing suspect and uncover other criminal networks linked to the gang.
Commending the operatives for their professionalism, Dantawaye reassured residents that the command remains determined to rid the FCT of criminal elements.
He urged the public to stay vigilant, avoid boarding suspicious or unregistered vehicles, and promptly report suspicious activities via the police emergency lines: 08032003913 and 07057337653.
