The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has announced the arrest of fourteen suspected kidnappers and the rescue of twenty-three foreign nationals held captive in Nasarawa State.
In a statement released on Friday, October 30, 2025, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, said the successful operation was carried out by the Command’s Scorpion Squad around 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 22, 2025, at Angwan Adamu Ruga Fulani Zone B, Riverside, Ado Mararaba, Nasarawa State.
“In a major breakthrough against kidnapping and human trafficking, operatives of the FCT Police Command’s Scorpion Squad have successfully arrested fourteen (14) suspected kidnappers and rescued twenty-three (23) victims, all foreign nationals, from captivity,” Adeh stated.
According to the police, the operation followed intelligence reports indicating that several foreign nationals had been deceived into traveling to Nigeria with promises of lucrative job opportunities. Upon arrival, they were instead abducted, with their captors demanding ransom payments from their families through WhatsApp and other online platforms.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate was led by one Abubakar Jigiba, described as a transnational criminal kingpin operating across Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria. His younger brother, Sougule Zoubere, reportedly managed the recruitment and trafficking of victims from Mali into Nigeria, where they were detained while ransom negotiations were underway.
“Further investigations revealed that the victims were trafficked into the country through illegal border routes in a journey lasting about three days. They were subsequently confined in two fortified two-bedroom apartments under inhumane conditions,” the statement continued.
Adeh added that “acting on actionable digital and reconstructive intelligence, the Scorpion Squad traced the hideout to the above address where a total number of twenty-three (23) victims, comprising fourteen (14) males, eight (8) females, and one (1) child, all unhurt, except one who sustained a minor ear injury and has been taken to the National Hospital, Abuja, for medical attention.”
Police say investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the network operating within and outside Nigeria.
