The Nigeria Police Force has arrested a chef, John Cosmos Govi, for allegedly masterminding a sophisticated robbery operation involving the drugging of residents and the theft of luxury items valued at about ₦150 million from a residence in Abuja.
The arrest was carried out by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT), according to a statement issued on Monday by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Okon Placid.
Police said the suspect is facing allegations bordering on criminal conspiracy, housebreaking, administering harmful substances, malicious damage to property, and theft.
Investigators revealed that Govi allegedly gained access to the residence after securing employment as a chef. He was said to have trained at a catering school in Cotonou, Benin Republic, before linking up with two accomplices identified simply as Peter and Moses, who remain on the run.
According to the police, the suspect allegedly spent time studying the daily routine of the household as well as the security arrangement of the residence before carrying out the operation on April 23, 2026.
“The suspect carefully studied the routine, movements, and security structure of the residence before executing the operation on 23rd April 2026,” the statement read.
Authorities said the alleged plot involved secretly lacing food prepared in the residence with a substance believed to be a sedative in order to render occupants and security personnel unconscious.
“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 establishing contact with two accomplices identified as Peter and Moses, both currently at large,” the Force stated.
The police added that “food prepared within the residence was laced with a suspected sedative substance intended to incapacitate the occupants and security personnel.”
After the occupants reportedly lost consciousness, the suspect allegedly opened the way for his accomplices to enter the residence and carry out the operation.
“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 police said.
Police operatives later tracked and intercepted the suspect while he was allegedly attempting to flee through the Gwagwalada area on his way to Lagos.
“Operatives of the FID-IRT subsequently intercepted the suspects while attempting to flee through the Gwagwalada axis en route Lagos,” the statement added.
During the operation, security personnel recovered an iPhone 17 Pro Max said to belong to one of the victims, as well as a suspected chemical substance believed to have been used in the crime.
“During the operation, an iPhone 17 Pro Max belonging to the victim was recovered alongside a suspected chemical substance, which has since been forwarded for forensic analysis,” the Force disclosed.
The police said investigations are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing accomplices and reaffirmed their determination to dismantle organised criminal networks across the country.
