In a sweeping crackdown on criminal activities, the Nasarawa State Police Command has arrested 24 suspected kidnappers across different parts of the state and rescued several victims from captivity.
The Commissioner of Police, Shetima Mohammed, disclosed this on Friday during a press briefing held at the command headquarters in Lafia.
He said the arrests were made between August 30 and October 15 as part of sustained operations to dismantle kidnap syndicates and restore public confidence in security agencies.
According to him, one of the most disturbing cases involved the abduction of a two-year-old boy, Godwin Abeson, in Sabon Pegi, Shabu, on October 14.
The police chief explained that three suspects, Asabe Isah, her husband, Isah Umar, and one Emmanuel Polycarp, were apprehended for conspiring to abduct the child and demanding a ransom of ₦15 million.
“Thanks to prompt intelligence gathering, our operatives were able to trace and rescue the child unharmed on October 16 from Angwan Nungu, where he was being held,” Mohammed said, adding that the suspects had already confessed to the crime and were helping with further investigations.
He also revealed that on September 28, operatives of the State Intelligence Department arrested six individuals, identified as Iliyasu Umar, Ibrahim Adamu, Umar Faruq, Ali Sani, Muhammadu Ibrahim, and Nuhu Mohammadu, for allegedly abducting a man along the Lafia–Keana road and demanding a ₦10 million ransom.
The victim was rescued without injuries, while an AK-47 rifle, a magazine, two live rounds, and several items were recovered from the suspects.
Similarly, two men, Christopher Habila and Abdullahi Haruna, were apprehended on August 30 for kidnapping travellers on the Nasarawa–Toto Highway. The police successfully rescued all the victims, the commissioner said.
In another breakthrough, five suspects, Leko Jibrin, Maigari Bature, Babare Ishaku, Abdullahi Hassan, and Usman Yau, were arrested on September 22 for allegedly abducting a woman identified as Aisha.
The police revealed that the group collected ₦20 million before her release, and the suspects later admitted to sharing the ransom among themselves.
Further arrests were made on October 12 in Obi, where two men, Musa Adamu and Yakubu Ali, were caught attempting to kidnap a resident. On October 13, operatives also nabbed
Zaharadden Isiaka and Yahaya Sulaiman in Doma for plotting to abduct their employer and demanding a staggering ₦40 million ransom.
The command’s efforts also led to the capture of Musa Abubakar and Yahaya Abdullahi for kidnapping incidents in Obi and Awe LGAs, as well as the arrest of Abdullahi Usman, Suleiman Yahaya, Usman Bello, and Muhammed Ide for related crimes in Lafia on October 15.
Commissioner Mohammed emphasised that the success of the recent operations was due to improved intelligence sharing, community collaboration, and proactive policing.
“Our mission is to ensure that every corner of Nasarawa remains safe for its people,” he stated. “We will keep strengthening our operations until these criminals have nowhere left to hide.”
He appealed to residents to remain alert and continue supporting law enforcement efforts by reporting suspicious activities in their communities.