A suspected phone snatcher, Awwalu Gambo, was apprehended by vigilantes while receiving treatment at a private hospital in Ikwa village, Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT.
According to Danlami Yakubu, a member of the vigilante group, Gambo was arrested on Tuesday at around 5:32 pm. He had been hospitalized after narrowly escaping a mob attack at Unguwar Dodo, Gwagwalada, on Sunday night.
The suspect allegedly stabbed and injured a resident returning from church while attempting to steal his phone. The commotion attracted a crowd that attempted to lynch him, but he managed to flee before the vigilantes arrived.
Yakubu explained that after the suspect’s escape, the vigilante group in Zuba was alerted. Acting on intelligence, they traced him to the private hospital where he was receiving treatment for injuries sustained during the mob attack.
“It was the Zuba vigilantes who received information that the suspect, who fled after attacking a resident in Unguwar Dodo, had been admitted to a private clinic,” he said.
The suspect was reportedly known for phone snatching in the Unguwar Dodo area for years. One of his accomplices, who transported him on a motorcycle to Ikwa village for treatment, was also arrested.
Both suspects have been handed over to security authorities. However, the police in the area declined to comment and referred inquiries to the FCT Police Command headquarters. As of the time of reporting, the FCT Police Command spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, had yet to confirm the arrest.