Security operatives in Nasarawa State have broken up a suspected kidnapping network operating around Lafia East, ending days of anxiety for residents and restoring three abducted persons to safety.
The operation targeted remote settlements in Angara and Fadaman Bauna, where law enforcement agents uncovered makeshift hideouts believed to have been used by criminal elements to detain victims.
Six suspects were taken into custody during the coordinated raids.
Moreover, the police confirmed that two women and a man were rescued alive, with officials noting that none of the victims sustained injuries.
After initial medical and security checks, the freed individuals were reunited with their families amid visible relief.
According to security sources, the crackdown followed a distress report filed earlier this month after armed men stormed Angara village, seized two women, and fled the scene while abandoning an infant.
The same gang was later accused of abducting another resident from the area.
In response, the Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police directed operatives to immediately pursue the assailants.
Working alongside community vigilantes, officers traced the suspects to their hideouts, leading to their arrest and the successful rescue mission.
A senior police officer familiar with the operation said the suspects had already made useful admissions.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the group was actively involved in organized kidnapping within the axis. They will face the full weight of the law,” the officer said.
Furthermore, authorities disclosed that the suspects have been handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department for an expanded probe and possible prosecution.
Reassuring residents, the police leadership stressed that security operations would be sustained across Nasarawa State.
“We are intensifying pressure on criminal groups wherever they operate. Public safety remains our top priority,” the command said.
Hence, residents were urged to remain vigilant and continue providing timely intelligence, which officials described as critical to disrupting criminal activities and preventing future attacks.