The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has rescued 23 foreigners from captivity and arrested 14 suspected kidnappers in Nasarawa State.
This development was made known on Friday in a statement issued by FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, stating that the operation was conducted by operatives of the command’s Scorpion Squad at Angwan Adamu Ruga Fulani Zone B, Riverside, Ado Mararaba, Nasarawa State, on Tuesday, October 22, 2025, at around 8pm.
The statement reads in part, “The intelligence-led operation followed a report indicating that several foreign nationals had been lured into Nigeria under the pretext of lucrative job offers.
“Upon arrival, they were held hostage by their abductors, who demanded ransom payments from their families via WhatsApp and other online platforms.
“Further investigations revealed that the victims were trafficked into the country through illegal border routes in a journey lasting about three days. They were subsequently confined in two fortified two-bedroom apartments under inhumane conditions.
“Acting on actionable digital and reconstructive intelligence, the Scorpion Squad traced the hideout to the above address, where a total number of twenty-three (23) victims, comprising fourteen (14) males, eight (8) females, and one (1) child, all unhurt, except one who sustained a minor ear injury and has been taken to the National Hospital, Abuja, for medical attention.”
The command stated that according to preliminary investigations, the syndicate is led by one Abubakar Jigiba, a transnational criminal kingpin with residences in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria.
His younger brother, Sougule Zoubere, is allegedly responsible for the recruitment and smuggling of victims from Mali into Nigeria, where they are detained until ransom payments are made.
The statement added that “The group demanded four million CFA (₦10 million) for each victim. The victims were trafficked into the country through illegal border routes and confined in two fortified two-bedroom apartments under inhumane conditions.”
Those arrested are identified as Bubakari Cisse (40), Haruna Dembele (37), Abdullahi Napo (32), Isah Goita (26), Umar Koulibaly (26), Karamogo Dembele (25), Amadou Traore (25), Sareba Traore (24), Zoumana Diara (23), Musa Kamsoko (23), Berthe Saidu (23), Mohammed Siaaibe (23), Lorita Traore (22), and Alasgara Sagara (20). Meanwhile, efforts are underway to capture the main suspects, Jigiba and Zoubere, who remain at large.