The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested four suspects linked to a kidnapping and banditry network operating in the Paze–Byazhin hills area, a border region between Niger State, Kaduna State and the FCT.
The suspects were apprehended during a follow-up tactical operation led by the Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, on June 11, 2026, following an earlier anti-kidnapping and rescue mission conducted on June 9 in the same area.
Those arrested include Yahaya Abdullahi, Muhammed Yunusa, Hauwa Shafiu and Shamsudeen Mustapha.
According to police authorities, preliminary investigations suggest the suspects are part of a coordinated criminal syndicate involved in kidnapping and banditry activities across the FCT and neighbouring states.
During interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed that the hideout served as a convergence point where armed bandits planned attacks, coordinated movements and shared intelligence on targets. They also allegedly admitted to providing logistical support, including food supplies, medical assistance, illicit drugs and other provisions to armed members of the group operating in surrounding communities.
In a subsequent operation on June 15, 2026, police forces again stormed the location, dismantling the criminal hideout and destroying makeshift structures and storage facilities allegedly used by the suspects, effectively disrupting the group’s operational base.
Police further disclosed that one of the suspects, Hauwa Shafiu, who served as a logistics supplier and cook for the network, was pregnant at the time of arrest and has since delivered a baby while in lawful custody. Authorities said she and the newborn are receiving appropriate medical care.
The Command said investigations are ongoing, with efforts intensified to track down other members of the syndicate and dismantle the wider criminal network operating within the region.
The FCT Police Command assured residents of its continued commitment to tackling kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes in the territory and its environs.
