FCT police have rescued 23 foreign nationals and arrested 14 suspected kidnappers during a raid in Nasarawa State.
The victims were lured to Nigeria with fake job offers and held for ransom.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has rescued 23 foreign nationals and arrested 14 suspected kidnappers during a raid in Nasarawa State.
Police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the development in a statement on Friday, explaining that the operation was carried out by the command’s Scorpion Squad at Angwan Adamu Ruga Fulani Zone B, Ado Mararaba.
Adeh said the operation followed a report that some foreign nationals had been tricked into Nigeria with fake job offers. On arrival, they were held hostage by their abductors, who demanded ransom from their families through online platforms.
According to her, the victims were trafficked through illegal border routes and confined in two small apartments under harsh conditions. One of the victims sustained a minor ear injury and was taken to the National Hospital, Abuja, for treatment.
The police identified the suspected ring leader as Abubakar Jigiba, a transnational criminal based in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria. His brother, Sougule Zoubere, allegedly handled recruitment and ransom coordination, demanding about N10 million for each victim.
The arrested suspects include Bubakari Cisse (40), Karamogo Dembele (25), Musa Kamsoko (23), Amadou Traore (25), Sareba Traore (24), Zoumana Diara (23), Umar Koulibaly (26), Alasgara Sagara (20), Berthe Saidu (23), Abdullahi Napo (32), Isah Goita (26), Lorita Traore (22), Mohammed Siaaibe (23), and Haruna Dembele (37).
The FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Miller Dantawaye, praised the Scorpion Squad for its swift action and urged the public to report suspicious activities through the command’s emergency lines, 08032003913, 08028940883 CRU: 08107314192.
