The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has uncovered a new tactic allegedly being used by criminal gangs in Abuja, with children recruited and paid as little as ₦500 to help rob motorists caught in traffic.
The FCT Commissioner of Police disclosed the development during an engagement with residents, saying some of the children operate under the guise of beggars while working with adult members of robbery gangs.
According to the commissioner, the minors approach motorists seeking alms or assistance and distract them, allowing other gang members to steal valuables from the opposite side of the vehicle.
“These children are being recruited by these bigger ones. They would be the ones that would stop the vehicle or approach you as if they are begging you for something, distracting you so that when you are paying attention to them, these other ones would be stealing from the other side of your vehicle,” he said.
The police chief said the children are allegedly paid between ₦500 and ₦1,000 after successful thefts.
“They just meet these people that if they are able to steal anything, they will just give them ₦500 or ₦1,000 for them to go and eat,” he stated.
He also recounted cases in which suspected traffic robbers allegedly injured victims while attempting to steal their belongings.
The commissioner cited an incident involving a woman whose ear was torn when suspects allegedly tried to snatch her earring.
“We have gotten some of them that were responsible for removing a woman’s ear because they want to remove her earring. They pulled it and the ear was cut,” he said.
The police commissioner further alleged that some of the children involved in the criminal activities were brought to Abuja from other states and abandoned to carry out the operations.
“Unfortunately, most of these children were brought in from another state and dumped here for just this purpose,” he claimed.
The command said the involvement of minors presents additional challenges for law enforcement because children below the applicable age of criminal responsibility cannot be prosecuted in the same manner as adults.
Instead, the police are working with social welfare authorities to rehabilitate the children and reunite them with their families.
“When you get them, because of their age, you can’t take them to court. But we already have a place for them with the social welfare so that they can be rehabilitated and reunited with their families,” the commissioner explained.
He added that the police also seek information from some of the children to identify the adults allegedly organising and directing the robbery operations.
“We also talk to them and give them the same ₦1,000 or ₦500 to tell us who is sending them to do the job,” he said.
The police urged motorists to remain vigilant in traffic and exercise caution when approached by strangers, particularly around congested roads where criminals may exploit distractions to steal from vehicles.
