FCT Police Arrest Four Suspected Kidnap Network Members, Dismantle Criminal Hideout

FCT Police Arrest Four Suspected Kidnap Network Members, Dismantle Criminal Hideout

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested four suspected members of a criminal network linked to kidnapping and banditry operations within the FCT and neighbouring states, following a series of intelligence-led operations.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, the arrests followed a recent anti-kidnapping and rescue operation led by the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, on June 9, 2026, in the Paze-Byazhin area of the FCT.

She stated that a follow-up tactical operation conducted on June 11, 2026, at a suspected hideout around the Paze Hills, bordering Kaduna, Niger, and the FCT, led to the arrest of four suspects identified as Yahaya Abdullahi, Muhammed Yunusa, Hauwa Shafiu, and Shamsudeen Mustapha.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects are allegedly part of a coordinated criminal network involved in kidnapping and banditry activities across the FCT and adjoining states.

During interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed that the hideout served as a meeting point where armed bandits coordinated movements, exchanged intelligence, and planned attacks on intended targets. Investigators also alleged that the group provided logistical support to criminal elements, including food supplies, medical assistance, illicit drugs, and other materials used during operations.

In a further operation led by the Commissioner of Police on June 15, 2026, security operatives returned to the location and successfully dismantled the criminal camp. Makeshift structures and storage facilities allegedly used by the suspects were destroyed, effectively disrupting the group’s operational base.

The police also disclosed that one of the suspects, Hauwa Shafiu, who allegedly served as a logistics supplier and cook for the criminal network and their captives, was pregnant at the time of her arrest. She has since given birth to a healthy baby while in lawful custody and is receiving medical care alongside the newborn.

The FCT Police Command said investigations are ongoing and that efforts have been intensified to identify and apprehend other members of the criminal network, as well as dismantle the wider structure supporting kidnapping and banditry activities in the region.

The Command reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining operations against criminal elements and ensuring the safety and security of residents within the Federal Capital Territory and surrounding communities.

SP Josephine Adeh Police Public Relations Officer FCT Police Command, Abuja June 15, 2026.

FCT Police Arrest Four Suspected Kidnap Network Members, Dismantle Criminal Hideout