The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Bala Ciroma, has stated that returning looted items may not shield a looter from being prosecuted.

Bala Ciroma revealed this in an interview with NTA on Wednesday October 28th.

Recall that, Private and Public warehouses were looted by hoodlums on Monday and Tuesday in Abuja, and the FCT authorities have appealed for the looters to return the stolen items.

However Bala has stated that returning the looted Items does not shield the looter from being punished according to the law.

He wrote;

“In a situation where people come to return goods, the fact remains did you commit an offence or not? We will get our legal experts to look at it and we will decide what to do with it.

We will conclude our investigations and the legal experts will look at it accordingly but the fact remains that a crime has been committed.”

He added that that the police had been able to arrest several persons who looted warehouses and some properties had been recovered.

Read people’s comments and reactions below;

Salami Hawa: Who told them anyone is willing to return what has been looted?🤣🤣
The day our leaders return our money they looted with interests,then looted palliatives will be returned.
Next case!!!👩🏼‍⚖️

Godwill Sunday: Return waiting,..I trust my Lagos people’s,it can’t work,..U can’t dash sunone is property’s🙄🙄🙄so oga only looters we kwn is our leaders🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Rachel Gloria: Una still get mouth the talk anyhow abi?
You guys should thank God I’ve not discovered any warehouse yet because I’ll loot the palliatives and gift the masses then loot the politicians for general sacrifice…
Really they don’t have shame.

Adeyemi Dolapo: Governors are to share those palliative and they didn’t. Those people went there to get it themselves and you wanna persecute them? Fear God, you people are just heartless.
God punish all of you.

Benjamin Benevolent Benalisa: Go and jail the politicians that hide palliatives meant for them and also the money they are stolen from this country.

You better thank them for returning all and also add apology to it because all their action was instigated by you people and the politicians that are using you all to achieve their aims

Ernest Oriaku: Anyone that returns anything palliative must be very useless and stupid because the palliative are meant for the masses,why will they store it in Warehouse while so many Nigerians are hungry
Useless government

Precious Omoh: Make this olopka people they get shame… The people are trying to recover their lost mandate, I hope you know by that some of your men looted some bags of rice too😏😏😏

Sarah Thompson: If what they took is from someone shop or store, I agree with you sir but if it’s from politician’s, Oba’ s or government properties, they should not be prosecuted because it’s their right. Since mountain as refused to go and meet Muhammed, Muhammed don go meet mountain. Case closed. We move.

Favour Ejam: With his mouth like frustrated goat.. I blame the people returning the goods sha.. If na me, I for don open small shop for 51 iweke road onitsha.. Life na jeje

Francis Charles: This statement is a sarcastic statement… Ironically he’s telling us that once u loot anything in Nigeria either on a government or private organization u don’t need to act good Samaritan and return it back..Once u return it u are guilty as charged… So be an unrepentant looter to survive in Nigeria.. Thank u!