By our Reporter
The Nigeria Police Force has arrested a chef, identified as John Cosmos Govi, over his alleged involvement in the drugging and robbery of luxury items worth about ₦150 million from a residence in Abuja.
According to the police, the suspect was apprehended by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) following investigations into a case involving criminal conspiracy, housebreaking, administering harmful substances, malicious damage to property and theft.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Okon Placid, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect, who reportedly trained at a catering school in Cotonou, Benin Republic, secured employment as a chef within the residence after making contact with two accomplices identified as Peter and Moses, who are currently at large.
The police said investigations showed that Govi allegedly studied the routine, movement and security architecture of the residence before carrying out the operation on April 23, 2026.
According to the statement, food prepared within the residence was allegedly laced with a suspected sedative substance meant to incapacitate the 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 ₦150 million,” the statement said.
Police operatives later intercepted the suspect while he was allegedly attempting to flee through the Gwagwalada area en route Lagos.
During the operation, officers recovered an iPhone 17 Pro Max belonging to the victim, alongside a suspected chemical substance which has been forwarded for forensic examination.
The police said efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing accomplices and reaffirmed the force’s commitment to tackling organised crimes and bringing perpetrators to justice.
