The Niger State Police Command has arrested six suspected members of a notorious kidnapping syndicate allegedly operating along the Suleja and Kontagora axes, with links to Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi states.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed this in a statement issued at the weekend.
According to him, the syndicate allegedly used private vehicles to lure unsuspecting victims under the guise of offering them lifts before drugging and abducting them to hideouts in neighbouring states.
The investigation began after a case of criminal conspiracy and suspected kidnapping was reported at the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Minna, on May 14, 2026.
The police said the case involved a woman and her infant who were allegedly abducted by unknown gunmen in Suleja on February 7, 2026, while she was on her way to the market.
Two days later, on February 9, the victim’s relatives reportedly received a call from an unknown number demanding N50 million ransom for her release.
The relatives were said to have raised N9.5 million, which was paid in instalments into three different bank accounts bearing different names.
Despite the payment, the victim was allegedly not released. Instead, the abductors reportedly threatened to kill her.
The woman eventually managed to escape, leaving behind some of her personal belongings, including her phone and ATM card.
The police said the suspects subsequently exploited the victim’s abandoned banking details to demand N10.5 million ransom from another woman who was abducted in Shagari, Sokoto State, while travelling to visit her husband in the Kontagora area of Niger State.
The police statement read:
“In continuation of its sustained efforts to combat kidnapping and other violent crimes, the Niger State Police Command has burst a notorious kidnapping syndicate operating along Suleja and Kontagora axis, with links extending to Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi States.”
The suspects were identified as Amira Yusuf, 23, of Kano State; Abdullahi Garba, 40, of Sokoto State; Ibrahim Mohammed, 37, of Kano State; Maijida Abubakar, 26, of Kano State; Abdullahi Sani, 40, of Zamfara State; and Bello Shehu, 22, of Sokoto State.
According to the police, detectives from the Anti-Kidnapping Unit commenced an intensive investigation and analysed the bank accounts through which the ransom payments were made.
This led to the arrest of Amira Yusuf Aliyu, 23, of Kano State, on July 2, 2026.
During interrogation, she allegedly told investigators that she was deceived by Mustapha Yusuf, the suspected leader of the syndicate, who is currently at large.
She reportedly said Mustapha lured her to Sokoto under the pretext of introducing her to his family with a promise of marriage, but later abducted her and allegedly used her account details to demand ransom from her parents.
Further investigation led to the arrest of Abdullahi Garba, also known as Zidane, 40, of Sokoto State, on July 26, 2026. He was arrested at the residence where Amira was allegedly kept following her abduction.
The police said Garba admitted knowledge of the incident but claimed that Mustapha had deceived him into believing that Amira was his fiancée and had used his phone to communicate with her parents without his knowledge.
Investigators subsequently arrested Ibrahim Mohammed Kote, 37, and Maijida Abubakar Yusuf, 26, both from Kano State, on August 7 and 10 respectively.
The police said findings revealed 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 was also identified as a suspected member of the syndicate and the wife of Mustapha.
According to the police, her bank account was allegedly used to receive several ransom payments. She reportedly confessed to receiving the funds and said proceeds from the criminal activities were used, among other things, to purchase a Honda Civic, renovate her room and acquire household items.
Another suspected senior member of the syndicate, Abdullahi Sani, also known as Samaila Atulu, 40, of Zamfara State, was arrested in Zaria on August 19, 2026.
The police said assorted charms were recovered from him during a search.
During interrogation, Sani allegedly confessed to using the charms to defraud members of the public under the guise of providing spiritual assistance. He also allegedly admitted arranging with Mustapha for some of his clients to be kidnapped.
The police said he was later identified during an identification parade at the Command Headquarters by a victim, who pointed him out as one of the people allegedly involved in her abduction and that of her baby in Suleja.
Following the disappearance of the second victim from Shagari, Sokoto State, another suspect, Bello Shehu, 22, of Gangam Village, Shagari Local Government Area, was arrested on suspicion of providing information about the victim’s whereabouts to Mustapha, whom he was said to know.
The police said the investigation has so far led to the arrest of the six suspects, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend the alleged syndicate leader, Mustapha Yusuf, and two other suspected members identified as Jafar and Fatima, who are currently at large.
The suspects are in police custody and undergoing further investigation and interrogation.
The command said the case would be charged to court for prosecution after the investigation is concluded and other relevant evidence recovered.
The Niger State Police Command also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and provide credible information that could assist ongoing efforts to combat kidnapping and other criminal activities in the state.
