The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has rescued 23 foreign nationals from captivity and arrested 14 suspected kidnappers in Nasarawa State.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, the operation was carried out around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, October 22, 2025, by operatives of the command’s Scorpion Squad at Angwan Adamu Ruga Fulani Zone B, Riverside, Ado Mararaba, Nasarawa State.
Adeh explained that the operation was intelligence-led, following reports that several foreign nationals had been deceived with fake job offers and brought into Nigeria, only to be held captive by their abductors.
“Upon arrival, the victims were held hostage while the kidnappers demanded ransom payments from their families through WhatsApp and other online platforms,” she said.
Investigations revealed that the criminal network was run by Abubakar Jigiba, described as a transnational criminal kingpin with known bases in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria. His brother, Sougule Zoubere, reportedly handled the recruitment, trafficking, and smuggling of victims from Mali into Nigeria.
The syndicate allegedly demanded four million CFA francs (about ₦10 million) for each victim, who were smuggled into Nigeria through illegal border routes and kept in two fortified apartments under harsh and inhumane conditions.
The 23 rescued victims—14 men, eight women, and one child—were freed unhurt, except one who suffered a minor ear injury and has been taken to the National Hospital, Abuja, for treatment.
Those arrested during the operation include Bubakari Cisse (40), Karamogo Dembele (25), Musa Kamsoko (23), Amadou Traore (25), Sareba Traore (24), Zoumana Diara (23), Umar Koulibaly (26), Alasgara Sagara (20), Berthe Saidu (23), Abdullahi Napo (32), Isah Goita (26), Lorita Traore (22), Mohammed Siaaibe (23), and Haruna Dembele (37).
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Adeh noted that efforts are ongoing to track down the ringleaders, Jigiba and Zoubere, who are still at large.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Miller G. Dantawaye, praised the Scorpion Squad for their swift and coordinated response, urging residents to report suspicious activities to the authorities.
She added that the operation forms part of the command’s broader efforts to curb banditry, kidnapping, and human trafficking across border communities in the FCT, including Bwari, Kuje, and Gwagwalada, where joint security patrols have been intensified.
