A man, identified as Jamilu Usman, has been arrested for attempting to steal a motorcycle during Tahajjud prayers at a mosque in Unguwar Dodo, Gwagwalada Area Council, in the Federal Capital Territory.
The arrest was made by local vigilantes deployed to the mosque, following a recent spike in motorcycle thefts in the community.
A member of the vigilante group, Ibrahim Danjuma, who confirmed the incident explained that the incident occurred on Tuesday around 1:34 a.m., when Usman joined the prayers but later stepped out under the pretext of needing to relieve himself. Once outside, he allegedly tried to steal a motorcycle parked within the mosque premises.
According to him, “The suspect did not know a vigilante member was seated behind the mosque watching. He came out quietly as if he wanted to urinate and attempted to move the bike, which was when he was caught.”
Danjuma said the suspect had already damaged the ignition and was preparing to flee when he was intercepted. “Two master keys were found in his pocket when the vigilante searched him before he was turned over to the authorities,” he added.
The vigilante noted that three motorcycles had been reported missing from the mosque since the start of Ramadan Tahajjud prayers, prompting the deployment of security personnel to the area.
A police source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed Usman’s arrest and said that investigations into the incident are ongoing.
