Police: How we recovered mace, no arrest yet
The Nigeria Police Force has recovered the mace stolen from the Senate by five suspected hoodlums on Wednesday.
Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, SP Aremu Adeniran, in a statement yesterday morning said the stolen mace was abandoned under a bridge around the Abuja City gate.
When contacted for confirmation yesterday evening over reports that the suspected hoodlums had been arrested, Adeniran said no suspect was arrested.
He also replied a text message on the arrest of the suspects from NationReformer.com as simply: “No update yet please.”
Earlier in his statement, Adeniran said the IGP, Ibrahim Idris, reacted to the theft in the Senate by ordering a high-powered Police Investigation and Intelligence Team coordinated by the IGP’s Monitoring Unit of the Force to recover the mace.
He said the IGP had directed a total lock-down of the Federal Capital Territory with intense surveillance patrol and thorough Stop and Search Operations at various Police check-points with a view to arresting perpetrators and possible recovery of the stolen mace.
He said the police teams engaged in massive raids of identified criminal spots/flashpoints stop and search operations, visibility and confidence building patrols and intelligence gathering, which forced the suspected miscreants to abandon the mace.
He said the mace was left at a point under the flyover before the City Gate, where a passer-by saw it and alerted the police.
He added that discreet investigation into the incident was ongoing to arrest and bring the perpetrators to justice.
He said the police appreciate the spirited members of the public, especially motorists within Abuja Metropolis for their support, cooperation.
He stated the renewed commitment of the police to guarantee protection of lives and property, peace and Stability and sustain democracy in the country remains unequivocal and unwavering.
NationReformer.com reports that questions are still being asked as to how the thugs successfully left the National Assembly complex without being apprehended.
