The FCT Police Command has raised concerns over the alleged use of minors by traffic robbery gangs in Abuja, revealing that some children are recruited to distract motorists during traffic jams while accomplices steal valuables from vehicles. The Commissioner of Police stated that these minors, often Almajiri children, are paid between ₦500 and ₦1,000 for their roles in the criminal activities.
How the Recruitment and Distraction Scheme Operates
Speaking during an engagement with residents, the FCT Commissioner of Police explained that the minors are allegedly used as a distraction tool by older members of criminal groups. According to him, the children approach vehicles pretending to beg or seek assistance, allowing other members of the gang to take advantage of the situation and steal from motorists.
“These children were 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 your vehicle from the other side,” he said.
The commissioner alleged that some of the children are paid between ₦500 and ₦1,000 after carrying out the assigned roles. “They just meet these people that if they are able to steal anything, they will just give them 500 Naira or 1,000 Naira for them to go and eat,” he added.
Injuries and Exploitation of Minors
The police commissioner also highlighted cases where traffic robbery suspects allegedly caused serious injuries to victims. He cited an incident where a woman’s ear was injured after suspects attempted to remove her earring. “We have gotten some of them that were responsible in removing a woman's ear because they went to remove her earring, they pulled it and the ear caught,” he said.
He further alleged that some of the children involved were brought into Abuja from other states and abandoned for criminal purposes. “Unfortunately, most of these children were brought in from another state and dumped here for just this purpose,” he explained.
Rehabilitation and Police Engagement
Because of their age, many of the minors cannot be prosecuted in the same manner as adult offenders. Instead, the command is working with social welfare authorities to rehabilitate them 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 said.
The commissioner added that the police also engage the children to gather information about the adults allegedly directing their activities. “We also talk to them and give them the same 1,000 or 500 Naira to tell us who is sending them to do the job,” he said.
The police warning comes amid continued concerns over street vulnerability, child exploitation and rising cases of robbery targeting motorists in parts of Abuja. However, the allegations remain claims by the police, and the children identified in such cases are entitled to protection and rehabilitation rather than being broadly labelled criminals.
