THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested three kidnap suspects wanted for a series of high-profile abductions and murders within the FCT and its environs.
This was disclosed in a statement by the command’s spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, on Thursday, June 19.
According to the police, on June 13, 17, and 18, 2025, operatives of the command’s
Scorpion Squad, led by Victor Godfrey, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), acting on credible intelligence, successfully tracked and apprehended the suspects in coordinated operations across Kaduna, Niger, and Nasarawa states.
The suspects are Ya’u Shittu (27), of Kafanchan Local Government Area, Kaduna State; Sale Usman (30), from Niger State; and Ibrahim Abdullahi (28), of Mpape, Abuja.
The police said they had long been on the command’s wanted list and belonged to a ruthless kidnapping syndicate responsible for multiple violent crimes across the nation’s capital.
“Upon interrogation, the suspects voluntarily confessed to their involvement in several heinous acts, including the kidnapping of four men in the Katampe and Shishipe I communities, as well as the abduction and murder of a pastor in Mpape in 2024,” the police said.
Further investigation also linked them to the kidnapping of three children from Ruga Shishipe in Mpape, during which the victim’s father was killed while resisting the attackers.
According to the police, the suspects also admitted to the recent abduction of a woman for whom a ransom of ₦10 million was paid, with each gang member receiving ₦500 thousand.
It was further revealed that Abdullahi served as the gang’s arms supplier.
He also led operatives to the syndicate’s hideout in Bukuru, Nasarawa State, on June 18.
The police said that upon sighting the police team, other gang members opened fire, but the police officers engaged with superior firepower, during which Abdullahi attempted to flee but was shot, injured, and arrested.
“The remaining suspects escaped and are currently being pursued,” the police added.
Exhibits recovered from the hideout include a long knife and assorted charms.
The police added that the suspects were in custody, and efforts were underway to apprehend those at large.
The FCT Commissioner of Police, Adewale Ajao, commended the operatives for their bravery and professionalism.
He also appealed to the public, including residents of the FCT, to remain vigilant, be security-conscious, and cooperate fully with law enforcement agencies.
He emphasised the importance of timely reporting of suspicious movements or activities within communities, stressing that security is a shared responsibility.
In another development, Ajao has ordered a thorough and discreet investigation into the death of a young lady in a hotel room in Gwarimpa.
This, according to a statement by the FCT command’s spokesperson on Wednesday, June 18, was to unravel the circumstances of the death.
The police said preliminary investigation revealed that the victim, identified as Aladi Offikwu Johnson, also known as Tessy, who hailed from Benue State, reportedly checked into a hotel located at 3rd Avenue, Gwarinpa, on June 16, in the company of an unidentified male, who was later observed to have exited the premises without her.
“The victim was discovered unconscious by hotel staff during routine service rounds, prompting immediate notification to the police. She was confirmed dead upon medical evaluation.”
The Commissioner of Police appealed to young ladies to exercise caution in their interactions, especially with unfamiliar people, and to always share their whereabouts with trusted friends or family members for their safety.
Ajao, while commiserating with the deceased’s family, assured them that every effort was being made to bring her killer to justice.
The CP also called on hotel operators to strengthen internal security protocols, including mandatory identity verification for guests and the installation of functional surveillance systems to aid deterrence and investigation.
A reporter with the ICIR
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