The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), police command has announced the arrest of six suspects over the killing of an innocent man that triggered unrest at Gosa Market located along the Abuja Airport Road.

The incident, which caused pandemonium among customers, traders and residents, followed the death of a man accused of stealing tubers of yam in the market.

As a result of the incident, many have abandoned the market which is often regarded as one of the most affordable places to buy food items in the FCT.

The FCT Commissioner of Police, Adewale Ajao, who made this known at a media briefing, said following the incident, the police swiftly moved into the area to douse tensions and restore normalcy.

He said, “A young man was accused of stealing some tubers of yam at the market. And lo and behold, an individual decided to take laws into his hand. That’s a complete human being. This is what led to the crisis.

“Following the police swiftly moved into the area to douse tensions and restore normalcy.

“Six suspects are currently in custody over the matter, which the police are treating as a clear case of murder.”

He added that the police engaged community leaders and traditional rulers in dialogue, which helped calm the situation.

“Immediately after the incident, we engaged the community leader there. The traditional ruler was with us. We discussed and tried to find out what went wrong. They saw the need to embrace peace,” he said.

He said as of Thursday, the Gosa Market had resumed full operations under tight police surveillance.

“The market is on today, and life is bubbling there. Our policemen are on ground, policing the marketing operation,” Ajao added.

The CP also used the opportunity to warn against the growing trend of impersonation and the use of false identities, such as vehicles bearing diplomatic or official number plates without authorization.

“We are coming after you.

“Because the only reason for that is to engage in crime and criminality,” he said.

He also condemned the use of tinted glasses without proper permits, vowing that enforcement would continue.

“We are still arresting, and we’ll continue to arrest these people. When you conceal every identity, it doesn’t make any sense,” he said.

Speaking on the achievements of the command in the last two months, Ajao announced the arrest of 82 criminal suspects and the foiling of several kidnap and robbery attempts in Abuja between May 1 and June 30, 2025.

“In the period under review, the command recorded a total of 49 cases and arrested 82 suspects. Notably, 17 suspected kidnappers were apprehended and three neutralized in separate operations,” the CP said.

Ajao said police also foiled five attempted kidnappings in locations such as Apo Waru, Karshi, Kawo-Bwari, and Abaji, adding that three suspects were arrested while three others were killed during a shootout at Kawo village clinic in Bwari.

He noted that in efforts to tackle robbery, five armed robbery cases led to the arrest of 17 suspects, while six others were nabbed in connection with foiled robberies in Apo and Kubwa.

“Items recovered included four vehicles, a jackknife, a military camouflage, and pistol ammunition.

“Other arrests included: Nine suspects for theft, four for “one-chance” robbery, five for car theft involving illegal scrap dealers, two for fraud, one each for illegal possession of firearms and attempted homicide, eight for child trafficking, ten for rape, and one suspect for domestic violence,” he said.

Ajao said the command also rescued three children from traffickers, eight abandoned babies now in the custody of the Social Welfare Centre, and 10 rape victims.

“Recovered items included three AK-47 rifles, a pump-action shotgun, two LAR rifles, 36 rounds of live ammunition, nine walkie-talkies, an axe, a sharp spear, 27 iron rods, phones, power banks, ATM cards, a generator, and ?79,000 cash.

“Ten vehicles were recovered from different locations across the city, along with two motorcycles linked to kidnapping suspects,” he added.

Looking ahead, the CP said the Command would intensify community and intelligence-led policing, targeted clearance operations, and public sensitization to tackle evolving threats.

“These achievements underscore our commitment to proactive and intelligence-led policing. We assure residents of the FCT that we will keep taking the fight to the criminals wherever they are to sustain the peace being enjoyed.” (Daily Sun)