The Kaduna State Police Command has apprehended 26 suspected kidnappers and recovered four fabricated firearms, several dangerous weapons, and part of a ransom allegedly paid to abductors during a series of coordinated operations across the state.
According to the Command, the arrests were the result of joint raids conducted by police operatives and the Kaduna Vigilance Service between October 3 and 5, 2025, targeting notorious kidnap syndicates in Anchau, Ikara, and Makarfi local government areas.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, said the operations were part of sustained efforts to eliminate kidnapping and banditry in Kaduna State.
The statement revealed that the first major breakthrough came on October 5, when officers from the Anchau Division, acting on credible intelligence, raided a kidnappers’ hideout around 1:15 a.m. and arrested six suspects, among them a 21-year-old identified as Jibrin Abubakar, also known as “Oga.”
“Investigation revealed that the suspects had on September 22, 2025, conspired to kidnap one Idris Adamu, aged 60, whom they held in captivity for several days before releasing him after collecting a ransom of ₦5 million,” Hassan said.
During the operation, two suspects — Yunusa Iliya, 31, and Malam Iliya, 55, both from Gidan Sidi Village in Anchau District — were captured after a brief exchange of gunfire with the police. Two others escaped and are currently being pursued.
Recovered items included two locally fabricated pump-action rifles, five empty cartridges, a number of amulets, and ₦546,000, believed to be part of the ransom paid by the victim’s relatives.
In another raid on October 3, operatives from the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit arrested one Habibu Alhaji Ahmadu, popularly known as “Munyaye,” in Ikara Local Government Area.
The suspect was reportedly caught with two locally made revolver rifles and later confessed to orchestrating an earlier armed attack on a local businessman’s residence.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that Ahmadu is a member of a notorious gang terrorizing Ikara and its environs. He operates alongside his accomplices, identified as one Buhari and one Shede, who are currently at large,” the police spokesman added.
He further disclosed that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing gang members and recover additional weapons linked to their criminal activities.
Another successful operation was recorded on October 4, when intelligence provided by a recently released kidnap victim led officers to a hideout in Gazara Village, Makarfi Local Government Area.
Fourteen suspects were arrested during the raid, including one Bello Umar, who had previously faced kidnapping charges. Police also seized several cutlasses and other dangerous weapons at the scene.
Three more suspects were later arrested at the Toll Gate area for their alleged connection to the same criminal syndicate.
“All suspects are currently in custody as investigations continue to uncover their wider network, recover more exhibits, and apprehend other accomplices still at large,” Hassan stated.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Rabiu Muhammad, commended the operatives for their professionalism and commitment, describing the operation as “another significant stride” in the ongoing fight against kidnapping and violent crime in Kaduna.
He reaffirmed the Command’s resolve to make the state hostile to criminal elements, saying, “We will continue to intensify intelligence-led operations, strengthen collaboration with local communities, and ensure that every perpetrator of violence faces the full weight of the law.”
Muhammad also urged residents to keep providing timely and credible information that could support ongoing security operations across the state.
