Kaduna State Police Command has arrested three suspected members of a notorious kidnapping syndicate that has been terrorizing the Kaduna-Abuja highway and nearby states.
In a statement released in Kaduna on Friday, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, identified the suspects as Muhammad Lawal Abubakar, 40, Abubakar Isah, 40, and Samaila Saidu, 65.
The suspects were apprehended on November 5, 2024, during a targeted intelligence-led operation by the Operation Fushin Kada Tracking and Response Team.
During the arrest, police operatives recovered an AK-47 rifle with an empty magazine.
According to Hassan, all three suspects confessed during interrogation to being part of a kidnapping syndicate responsible for violent incidents along the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway, causing distress to residents and travelers.
The suspects are reportedly cooperating with the police, providing key information that may lead to the arrest of other syndicate members still at large and to the recovery of additional firearms.
Kaduna State’s new Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Abdullahi, commended the operatives for their dedication and urged the public to stay vigilant and report suspicious activities.
He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to protecting citizens’ lives and property, pledging to continue efforts to dismantle criminal networks in the state.
