Police arrest Abuja chef over alleged N150million robbery

Operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) of the Nigeria Police Force, have arrested a suspect linked to the alleged robbery of luxury items and valuables from a residence in Abuja.

In a statement issued on Sunday by its spokesman, DCP Anthony Placide, the police identified the suspect as John Cosmos Govi.

The Force said Govi was arrested over alleged involvement in criminal conspiracy, housebreaking, administering harmful substances, malicious damage to property and theft.

According to the police, preliminary investigations showed that the suspect trained at a catering school in Cotonou, Benin Republic, before securing employment as a chef at the residence.

The police alleged that Govi established contact with two accomplices identified as Peter and Moses, who are currently at large.

Investigators said the suspect allegedly studied the routine, movements and security structure of the residence before the operation carried out on April 23, 2026.

The police said food prepared in the residence was allegedly laced with a suspected sedative substance intended to incapacitate occupants and security personnel.

“After the substance took effect, the suspect facilitated the entry of his accomplices into the residence, where the gang vandalised the CCTV monitoring system, ransacked the apartment, and carted away cash alongside twenty luxury wristwatches valued at approximately One Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (₦150,000,000),” the statement reads.

The police said operatives later intercepted the suspects while they were attempting to flee through the Gwagwalada axis en route to Lagos.

According to the statement, an iPhone 17 Pro Max belonging to the victim and a suspected chemical substance were recovered during the operation.