The Niger State Police Command has arrested six suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate operating along the Suleja and Kontagora axes, with links to Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi States.
The suspects, according to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, are Amira Yusuf Aliyu, 23, of Kano State; Abdullahi Garba, 40, of Sokoto State; Ibrahim Mohammed Kote, 37, of Kano State; Maijida Abubakar Yusuf, 26, of Kano State; Abdullahi Sani, 40, of Zamfara State; and Bello Shehu, 22, of Sokoto State.
The Command said the syndicate operated through a deceptive strategy, allegedly using private vehicles to lure unsuspecting victims under the guise of offering them lifts before drugging and abducting them to hideouts in neighbouring states.
The breakthrough followed a kidnapping report received at the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Minna, on May 14, 2026.
According to the police, a woman and her baby were abducted by unknown hoodlums in Suleja on February 7 while she was on her way to the market. Two days later, her relatives received a ransom demand of N50 million.
The family reportedly raised N9.5 million, which was paid in instalments into three different bank accounts. However, the abductors allegedly refused to release the victim and instead threatened to kill her.
The woman eventually escaped from captivity, leaving behind personal belongings including her phone and ATM card.
Police investigations subsequently revealed that the suspects allegedly exploited the abandoned banking details to demand another N10.5 million ransom from a second woman abducted from Shagari in Sokoto State while travelling to visit her husband in Kontagora, Niger State.
Following intensive investigation and analysis of the accounts used for the ransom payments, detectives arrested Amira Yusuf Aliyu on July 2.
During interrogation, Amira allegedly claimed that she was deceived by Mustapha Yusuf, described by the police as the suspected leader of the syndicate who is currently at large.
She reportedly told investigators that Mustapha lured her to Sokoto under the pretext of introducing her to his family ahead of a promised marriage, but later abducted her and allegedly used her bank account details to demand ransom from her parents.
Further investigation led to the arrest of Abdullahi Garba, also known as Zidane, on July 26 at the residence where Amira was allegedly kept after her abduction.
Garba reportedly admitted knowledge of the incident but claimed that Mustapha had also deceived him into believing that Amira was his fiancée and allegedly used his phone to communicate with her parents without his knowledge.
The investigation also led to the arrest of Ibrahim Mohammed Kote on August 7 and Maijida Abubakar Yusuf on August 10.
Police said findings showed that Ibrahim was the brother-in-law of the suspected kingpin and had stood as his surety when Mustapha was previously arrested and detained by another security agency in Kano.
Maijida, identified as Mustapha’s wife, was also allegedly linked to the syndicate. The police said her account was used to receive several ransom payments, which she reportedly confessed to receiving.
According to the Command, Maijida further disclosed that proceeds from the alleged criminal activities were used to purchase a Honda Civic vehicle, renovate her room and acquire household items.
In another breakthrough, detectives arrested Abdullahi Sani, also known as Samaila Atulu, 40, of Zamfara State, in Zaria on August 19.
Police said assorted charms were recovered from him during a search.
Sani allegedly confessed to using the charms to defraud members of the public under the guise of offering spiritual assistance and subsequently arranged with Mustapha for some of his clients to be kidnapped.
He was later identified during an identification parade at the Police Command Headquarters by a victim, who allegedly identified him as one of those involved in the abduction of her and her baby in Suleja.
The Command also arrested Bello Shehu, 22, of Gangam Village, Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State, over suspected involvement in the abduction of the second victim.
Police said Shehu was reasonably suspected of providing information about the victim’s whereabouts to Mustapha, with whom he was acquainted.
The Command said efforts were ongoing to arrest Mustapha Yusuf, alongside two other suspected members of the syndicate identified as Jafar and Fatima, who are currently at large.
The six arrested suspects are in police custody and undergoing further investigation and interrogation. The police said the case would be charged to court for prosecution upon completion of investigations and recovery of other relevant evidence.
The Niger State Police Command reassured residents of its commitment to dismantling criminal networks and protecting lives and property, while urging members of the public to remain vigilant and provide credible information that could assist ongoing efforts to combat kidnapping and other violent crimes.
