The Nigeria Police Force has arrested six suspected kidnappers and rescued several victims in Kaduna State in what authorities described as a major operational breakthrough.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Placid, said the arrests were carried out by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Special Tactical Squad on April 3, 2026.
He identified the suspects as Yusuf Shuaibu (23), Abubakar Bature (19), Yau Murtala, Bello Suleiman (19), Abdul Kareem Nuhu (36), and Ahmed Musa (28), noting that they are believed to be members of a kidnapping syndicate operating within Kaduna and its environs, with links to criminal camps in Rijana Forest.
“The Nigeria Police Force, through the Force Intelligence Department–Special Tactical Squad, has recorded a major breakthrough with the arrest of six notorious kidnapping suspects and the rescue of victims in Kaduna State,” Placid stated.
According to him, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were part of a well-organised criminal network responsible for multiple abduction cases in the state.
He further disclosed that the syndicate was involved in the abduction of a senior police officer and his son in October 2025. Despite collecting a ransom of ₦24 million and other items, the victims were not released until police operatives intervened, leading to the successful rescue of the officer’s son, while efforts continue to secure the release of the officer.
Placid added that the suspects were also linked to other kidnapping incidents, including the abduction of a young child and members of the same family, where a ransom of ₦18 million was collected before the victims were eventually rescued through police operations.
He assured the public that efforts were ongoing to dismantle the criminal network, apprehend fleeing members, rescue remaining victims, and recover weapons used by the syndicate.
Margaret ABAH
