 Police Command has rescued 23 foreign nationals from the grip of a kidnapping .){kind=link}
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has rescued 23 foreign nationals from the grip of a kidnapping syndicate and arrested 14 suspected traffickers in a major operation carried out in Nasarawa State.
According to the Command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, on Friday the operation was executed around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, October 22, 2025, by operatives of the Scorpion Squad.
The rescue mission took place at Angwan Adamu Ruga Fulani Zone B, Riverside, Ado Mararaba, following credible intelligence about the victims’ captivity.
Adeh explained that the victims, mostly citizens of West African countries, were tricked into Nigeria under the guise of lucrative employment opportunities.
However, upon arrival, they were held hostage by their abductors, who demanded ransoms from their families via WhatsApp and other online platforms.
“These unsuspecting victims were lured with promises of high-paying jobs, only to find themselves trapped in a criminal network that exploited them for ransom,” Adeh said.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the criminal ring was led by one Abubakar Jigiba, described as a transnational crime boss operating across Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria.
His younger brother, Sougule Zoubere, was reportedly in charge of recruiting and smuggling victims from Mali through illegal routes into Nigeria.
Police findings further indicated that the gang demanded four million CFA francs (about ₦10 million) from each victim’s family. The captives were confined in two heavily guarded two-bedroom apartments and subjected to inhumane living conditions.
Among the 23 rescued victims were 14 men, eight women, and one child, all freed without major injuries except one individual who sustained a minor ear wound. The injured victim is currently receiving medical care at the National Hospital in Abuja.
The arrested suspects were identified as Bubakari Cisse (40), Karamogo Dembele (25), Musa Kamsoko (23), Amadou Traore (25), Sareba Traore (24), Zoumana Diara (23), Umar Koulibaly (26), Alasgara Sagara (20), Berthe Saidu (23), Abdullahi Napo (32), Isah Goita (26), Lorita Traore (22), Mohammed Siaaibe (23), and Haruna Dembele (37).
Meanwhile, efforts are underway to apprehend Jigiba and Zoubere, who are believed to be on the run.
The FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Miller G. Dantawaye, applauded the swift action of the Scorpion Squad, describing the operation as a testament to the command’s renewed commitment to combating cross-border crimes.
“This rescue shows our determination to dismantle every criminal network threatening the peace of the FCT and its surrounding areas,” Dantawaye said. “We urge residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious movement to security authorities.”
This latest rescue operation comes barely a week after the FCT Police Command foiled a planned kidnapping and armed attack by suspected bandits in the Byazhin Forest area of Abuja.
During that raid, police recovered an AK-47 rifle and rounds of ammunition, preventing what could have been another major abduction incident.
The recent operations form part of a broader security campaign aimed at reducing banditry and kidnapping activities across the Bwari, Kuje, and Gwagwalada councils, where security patrols have been intensified in recent months.
With the arrests made and investigations ongoing, the FCT Police Command reaffirmed its commitment to keeping the nation’s capital and neighbouring communities safe from emerging criminal threats.