Nigeria’s police said on Tuesday they had arrested six suspected kidnappers and rescued several victims in Kaduna State in a major operation targeting criminal gangs.
A statement by the police said the suspects Yusuf Shuaibu, 23, Abubakar Bature, 19, Yau Murtala, Bello Suleiman, 19, Abdul Kareem Nuhu, 36, and Ahmed Musa, 28 were arrested on April 3 by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department Special Tactical Squad.
It stated that Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects are members of a kidnapping syndicate operating in Kaduna and surrounding areas, with links to camps in the Rijana forest.
Police said the group was involved in multiple abductions, including the kidnapping of a senior police officer and his son in October 2025. It stated that despite collecting a ransom of 24 million naira and other items, the victims were not released until police intervened, leading to the rescue of the officer’s son.
The statement said efforts are ongoing to secure the officer’s release.
CliqMetro understands that the suspects are also linked to other incidents, including the abduction of a child and several members of a family, where 18 million naira was paid before they were rescued during police operations.
Police said investigations were ongoing to arrest other members of the syndicate, rescue remaining victims and recover weapons used by the group.