The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police command has arrested two suspected kidnap kingpins, Masud Abdullahi, identified as the gang leader, and Muhammad Tahir.
Josephine Adeh, spokesperson of the command, said in a statement on Friday that the suspects were apprehended in a counter-kidnapping operation carried out in collaboration with the Nasarawa police command.
Adeh said the operation began after a report was received on August 16, 2025, at about 12:05 a.m. that a syndicate had invaded an estate in Karu, Abuja, and abducted a resident identified as Henry Chichi.
“Upon receiving the report, the command’s anti-kidnapping unit immediately swung into action, mounting intense pressure on the kidnappers, which eventually led to the safe release of the victim on 17th August 2025 at about 9:05 p.m.,” Adeh said.
She said in a follow-up operation, the assailants were tracked and intercepted along the Guraku axis of the Nasarawa–FCT highway after their vehicle, a red Opel Vectra with registration number BLD 566 AT, lost control.
The spokesperson said that while some of the gang members escaped, Abdullahi and Tahir were arrested.
She added that the suspects later led the police to their hideout in Karshi forest, Nasarawa, where another member of the gang, 22-year-old Kabiru Jibril, was also arrested.
“Exhibits recovered from the hideout include N7.4 million cash, three AK-47 rifles with magazines, one G3 rifle with a magazine, sixteen rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, and one Tecno handset,” Adeh said.
Ajao Adewale, FCT commissioner of police, commended the professionalism of the operatives and said efforts were ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the gang.
