The Nigeria Police Force has recorded a major operational success with the arrest of six suspected kidnappers and the rescue of victims in Kaduna State.
This was disclosed in a statement released on May 5, 2026, by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Okon Placid.
The suspects—Yusuf Shuaibu (23), Abubakar Bature (19), Yau Murtala, Bello Suleiman (19), Abdul Kareem Nuhu (36), and Ahmed Musa (28)—were apprehended on April 3, 2026.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects are members of a kidnapping syndicate operating within Kaduna State and adjoining areas, with established links to criminal camps in the Rijana Forest.
Further findings revealed that the group was involved in several kidnapping incidents, including the abduction of a senior police officer and his son in October 2025. Despite collecting a ransom of Twenty-Four Million Naira (₦24,000,000) and other items, the victims were not released until police operatives intervened. The officer’s son was rescued unharmed, while efforts to secure the release of the officer are ongoing.
The suspects are also linked to the abduction of other victims, including a young child and members of the same family, where a ransom of Eighteen Million Naira (₦18,000,000) was collected before the victims were eventually rescued through police operations.
The police said investigations are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate, rescue any remaining victims, and recover weapons used in the crimes.