Three armed robbers have been confirmed dead following a gun duel with the police at Filin-Dabo village in the Federal Capital Territory.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, confirmed the incident in a statement on Thursday, revealing that it occurred late Wednesday night.
According to her, the police received a distress call at about 11:50 PM regarding a violent robbery in the area.
She stated that the Divisional Police Officer of Dei-Dei ‘A’ Division immediately mobilized his team, calling for reinforcement from the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit, operatives from the 102 Battalion, Guards Brigade, the Civilian Joint Task Force, and local vigilante groups.
“Upon spotting the joint security team, the six-member gang attempted to escape into nearby bushes and launched an ambush on the operatives,” Adeh said.
She added that the security personnel responded with superior firepower, engaging the criminals in a fierce exchange.
“Despite their attempts to flee, the suspects were subdued,” she noted.
Adeh further disclosed that the injured suspects were rushed to the Kubwa General Hospital, where three of them were confirmed dead by doctors on duty, while the other three were receiving medical attention.
During the operation, the security team recovered one AK-47 rifle, three magazines, 19 live rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, two locally made pistols, and two knives.
Other recovered items included a taser, a mobile phone, assorted charms, and dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
This latest incident follows a similar operation on November 7, 2024, when FCT police officers killed two armed robbers and arrested four others during a shootout in the Jahi area of Abuja.
In another crackdown on criminal activities, the Scorpion Squad of the FCT Command arrested no fewer than five suspected car snatchers and recovered 13 stolen vehicles.
During the parade of the suspects, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Tunji Disu, revealed that on October 21, some armed robbers engaged the police in a shootout after a distress call reported a robbery incident in Jahi.