Police Rescue 23 Foreign Kidnap Victims in Nasarawa, Arrest 14 Suspects

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has rescued 23 foreign nationals who were kidnapped and held captive in Nasarawa State.

The victims, 14 men, eight women, and a child, were rescued unhurt during a late-night operation carried out by the command’s elite Scorpion Squad at Angwan Adamu Ruga Fulani Zone B, Riverside, Ado Mararaba, on Tuesday, October 22, 2025.

According to the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, 14 suspects have been arrested in connection with the abduction following intelligence reports that the foreigners were lured into Nigeria with fake job offers.

Adeh revealed that the victims were held hostage while their captors demanded ransom from their families via WhatsApp and other online platforms.

Preliminary investigations identified one Abubakar Jigiba, described as a notorious transnational criminal operating across Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria, as the ringleader. His brother, Sougule Zoubere, allegedly handled the recruitment and trafficking of victims from Mali into Nigeria.

> “The group demanded four million CFA, about ₦10 million, as ransom for each victim,” Adeh stated.



She added that the victims endured a three-day journey through illegal border routes before being confined in two fortified two-bedroom apartments under inhumane conditions.

Those arrested 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).

Adeh confirmed that one of the victims sustained a minor ear injury and has been taken to the National Hospital, Abuja, for treatment.

The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Miller G. Dantawaye, commended the Scorpion Squad for their swift and coordinated response. He urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities through the command’s emergency numbers.


—

Adamawa Police Arrest Man Brandishing AK-47 in Viral Video

In a separate development, the Adamawa State Police Command has arrested a 32-year-old man, Anas Dauda, of Jalingo B area, Lamorde Ward, Mubi South Local Government Area, after a viral video showed him wielding an AK-47 rifle and issuing threats.

According to police spokesperson Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje, the video, which showed Dauda displaying the loaded weapon and boasting about selling or leasing it, caused widespread panic among residents.

> “Upon receiving the report, the Commissioner of Police, Dankombo Morris, ordered the Divisional Police Officer of Mubi South Division to trace and arrest the suspect,” Nguroje said.



Police operatives tracked Dauda to a remote location in Mubi town, where he was arrested. The firearm seen in the video is yet to be recovered, as investigations continue to determine its origin.

The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Yola for further investigation and prosecution.

CP Morris reiterated the command’s commitment to maintaining law and order in the state and warned residents against acts capable of threatening public peace or violating the law.