Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have dealt a major blow to a notorious criminal syndicate operating in Kaduna State, arresting six suspected kidnappers linked to a string of high-profile abductions. The breakthrough operation also led to the successful rescue of several victims who were being held captive.
The breakthrough was confirmed in an official statement issued on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, by the Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Okon Placid, and shared across the law enforcement agency’s official social media channels.
According to police authorities, the suspects were apprehended during a coordinated raid on April 3 by the Force Intelligence Department’s Special Tactical Squad. Those taken into custody have been identified as Abdul Kareem Nuhu (36), Ahmed Musa (28), Yusuf Shuaibu (23), Abubakar Bature (19), Bello Suleiman (19), and Yau Murtala.
Intelligence reports reveal that the criminal network has been terrorizing Kaduna and its surrounding environments, utilizing deep-rooted operational bases and camps hidden within the dense Rijana Forest.
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Investigators have conclusively linked the arrested individuals to multiple extortion schemes and violent abductions. Notably, the gang is responsible for the October 2025 kidnapping of a senior police officer and his son. In that specific case, the ruthless syndicate pocketed a staggering ₦24 million ransom payment but refused to release the captives. Subsequent tactical interventions by police operatives eventually secured the safe release of the officer’s son, though active operations remain underway to locate and rescue the senior officer.
Further investigations also tied the syndicate to the abduction of a young child and several members of the same family. The suspects reportedly collected an ₦18 million ransom in that incident before the traumatized victims were ultimately rescued by security forces.
The Nigeria Police Force has assured the public that the current crackdown is far from over. Strategic operations are still actively in progress to hunt down remaining fleeing members of the syndicate, recover their stockpiles of illegal weapons, and safely bring home all other victims currently being held in captivity across the region.
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