The Nigeria Police Force has recorded a major breakthrough with the arrest of two notorious bandits and kidnapping kingpins linked to violent crimes across Katsina, Zamfara, Niger and Kwara States.
The suspects were arrested on Friday, December 19, 2025, by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID–IRT), working in collaboration with the Kwara State Police Command, during a covert operation along the Komen–Masallaci axis in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Those arrested were identified as Abubakar Usman, also known as Siddi ‘m’, aged 26, and Shehu Mohammadu, alias Gide ‘m’, aged 30. Both suspects were apprehended at Komen–Masallaci village at the time of arrest.
Recovered items included a brand new red Honda Ace 125 motorcycle valued at ₦1.85 million, which police investigations revealed was purchased with proceeds from ransom payments. Also recovered were ₦500,000 in cash believed to be unspent ransom money, and one AK-47 rifle with a magazine loaded with 20 rounds of live ammunition.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects are members of a notorious banditry and kidnapping syndicate terrorising communities across Zamfara, Katsina, Niger and Kwara States. The gang was also found to be involved in supplying arms and ammunition to other criminal elements.
Police further disclosed that one of the suspects, Abubakar Usman, was recently identified as the individual seen in a viral video flaunting firearms and large sums of money on social media.
Both suspects are currently cooperating with investigators to enable the arrest of other members of the criminal network and recovery of additional weapons.
Commending the operatives for their professionalism, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, reassured Nigerians of the Force’s commitment to dismantling criminal networks and ensuring the safety and security of citizens nationwide.
The Police also urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to support ongoing security operations.
