The Nigeria Police Force has announced the arrest of six suspected kidnappers and the rescue of several victims in Kaduna State, in what authorities described as a major operational breakthrough.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Okon Placid, confirmed the development in a statement issued from Force Headquarters in Abuja on May 5, 2026.
The operation was carried out by the Force Intelligence Department Special Tactical Squad (FID-STS), leading to the arrest of Yusuf Shuaibu (23), Abubakar Bature (19), Yau Murtala, Bello Suleiman (19), Abdul Kareem Nuhu (36), and Ahmed Musa (28) on April 3, 2026.
According to preliminary investigations, the suspects are members of a kidnapping syndicate operating within Kaduna and surrounding areas, with established links to criminal hideouts in the Rijana Forest axis.
Police findings further revealed that the “group was involved in several high profile abductions, including the kidnapping of a senior police officer and his son in October 2025. “
Despite receiving a ransom of N24m and other valuables, the suspects failed to release the victims until police operatives intervened, successfully rescuing the officer’s son unharmed. Efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the officer.
The suspects have also been “linked to the abduction of other victims, including a minor and members of the same family. In that case, a ransom of N18m was reportedly paid before the victims were later rescued through police operations.”
The police said investigations are ongoing to track down other fleeing members of the syndicate, rescue any remaining victims, and recover weapons used by the group.
