Security operatives have arrested a wanted bandit, Yahaya Zango, at the Hajj Camp in Abuja as he attempted to disguise himself as a pilgrim preparing for the 2025 Hajj to Saudi Arabia.
Zango, long on the radar of security agencies for his alleged involvement in banditry and kidnapping across northern Nigeria, was intercepted during routine screening of intending pilgrims.
A security source told Zagazola Makama on Sunday that the suspect was apprehended while boarding a bus alongside other pilgrims en route to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
The arrest, the source revealed, was made possible through credible intelligence that triggered enhanced surveillance and internal vetting within the camp.
“Following close monitoring and verification, his true identity was exposed. He was immediately taken into custody without resistance,” the source said.
Zango is currently undergoing interrogation as investigators work to uncover his network and operations.
Meanwhile, sources have raised concerns over four other individuals with alleged ties to notorious bandit kingpins who are also scheduled to travel for the 2025 Hajj from Abuja.
The individuals reportedly included Madele, father of infamous bandit leader Ado Aliero; Bello Bazamfare; a woman believed to be the mother of bandit commander Gwaska Dankarami; and a sibling of Ado Aliero.
This development echoed similar security concerns from 2024 when 14 suspected bandits were said to have been sponsored for Hajj. Three were arrested on their return, while one was controversially released.
Security agencies are now intensifying intelligence operations and screening protocols to prevent infiltration and abuse of the pilgrimage exercise.
