The Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) says it has arrested six suspects over alleged kidnapping and recovered N8.3 million cash paid as ransom in Abuja.

The Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of the FCT, Mr Ahmed Sanusi, disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday.

Sanusi said that the suspects were arrested following a distress call over the suspected kidnapping of a young lady in the Maitama area of the FCT.

He said that following the distress call a section of the command’s Violent Crime Response Unit’s tracking team were deployed on June 29.

He added that after abducting the lady, the suspected kidnappers contacted the victim’s family and demanded a ransom of N20 million for her release.

“This they did without knowing that we were already hot on their trail.

“Our digital tracking revealed that they had taken the victim out of the FCT and kept her in Kwan-kwashe Village, a remote settlement in Niger.

“The suspects eventually collected a ransom of N8.3 million from the victim’s family before releasing her on July 3.

“This development did not deter us as we remained on the trail of the suspects until on Sunday when our operatives arrested six members of the gang in Suleja area of Niger,” he said.

The CP also said that two of the suspects were children of the gang leader, adding that the N8.3 million ransom collected from the victim’s family were recovered from the suspects.

He said that two fully tinted operational vehicles, a Toyota Corolla with registration number SMK 559 FV and a Toyota Camry with Registration number YAB 712 NH were also, recovered.

According to him, other items recovered were one sharp cutlass, seven Ear Pods, several jewellry suspected to belong to their previous victims, five phones and one laptop.

Sanusi said that further investigations revealed that the gang leader and one of the accomplices were both repeat offenders who were previously arrested by the command in 2022 and 2019 over the same offence.

“In spite of their previous arrest, both suspects returned to constitute this syndicate which has been operating along Kubwa Expressway, Maitama Federal Housing Road, and other locations within the FCT since 2024,” he said.

He also said that the suspects revealed that they had carried out several other ”one chance” operations, and have extorted about N12.8 million from their female victims in their recent operations.

The FCT police boss added that the suspects and the recovered exhibits were in police custody and would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.

He said that operative of the command in continuation of its efforts to rid the FCT of violent criminals also arrested four suspects for offences relating to kidnapping and the supply of ammunition and illicit substances.

According to him, the suspects arrested on July 5, were operating within border communities of the FCT and neighboring states,

He revealed that the arrest followed an ongoing clearance operation in remote communities around Kwali, Abaji and Kuje Area Councils to dislodge kidnapper’s hideouts and smoked their caves in Nago forest in Kuje Area Council.

He disclosed that the operations were carried out by a combined security team led by the FCT Police Command Anti-Kidnapping Unit.

“During the clearance operation, one of the arrested suspects took police operatives to Zuba motor park where the operatives recovered 42 live rounds of 7.62mm ammunition concealed inside his Volkswagen Golf saloon vehicle.

“The suspect operates the vehicle as a commercial driver.

“Investigations reveal that one of the suspects is an arms dealer responsible for supplying ammunition to several kidnappers across Niger, Kogi, and Kaduna State.

“Very recently, he supplied over 20,000 rounds of live ammunition to wanted bandits and kidnappers and received a payment of N3 million for the deliveries,” he said.

Sanusi said that six bottles of Codeine syrup, nine bottles of Piscof Syrup, two bottles of Exiplon Syrup, one bottle of NGC Codeine Syrup, 125 wraps of dry leaves suspected to be cannabis sativa were recovered from the suspects.

He said other items recovered were 21 tablets of Tramadol 100mg, 17 capsules of Tramadol 100mg, torchlight, one national identity slip and one bunch of fresh leaves suspected to be cannabis sativa.

He also said N170,000 cash, one bag of assorted clothes, one Tecno handset, 78 tablets of Exzole and one magazine loaded with six rounds of live 7.62mm ammunition were also recovered from the suspects. (NAN)

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