Police in the FCT rescued 23 foreign nationals from a kidnapping ring in Nasarawa, arrested 14 suspects and uncovered a transnational trafficking syndicate.
In a late-night operation on October 22, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, acting through its Scorpion Squad, successfully rescued 23 foreign nationals in the Ado Mararaba area of Nasarawa State. The victims comprised 14 men, eight women and a child.
According to the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, 14 suspects were arrested after intelligence revealed the foreigners had been lured into Nigeria with fake job offers and then held hostage while ransom demands were made via WhatsApp and other online platforms.
A preliminary investigation reportedly traced the syndicate’s coordination to Abubakar Jigiba, a transnational criminal with links across Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali and Nigeria, while his brother, Sougule Zoubere, handled recruitment and trafficking from Mali into Nigeria. The victims were allegedly trafficked via illegal border routes over three days and kept in two fortified two-bedroom apartments under inhumane conditions.
The group demanded four million CFA (approximately ₦10 million) as ransom per victim, Adeh stated, adding that one of the rescued persons sustained a minor ear injury and was taken to the National Hospital, Abuja for treatment.