By Oluwakemi Kindness
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested six members of a suspected kidnapping syndicate led by a woman, recovering the full ₦8.25 million ransom allegedly paid by the family of a kidnapped victim.
Commissioner of Police Ahmed Sanusi disclosed this on Tuesday during a news briefing at the Command Headquarters in Abuja, describing the operation as part of the Command’s sustained offensive against violent crime in the nation’s capital.
According to the Commissioner, operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit launched an investigation on June 29 after receiving a distress call that a young woman had been kidnapped in the Maitama area of Abuja.
He said the suspects demanded ₦20 million for the victim’s release but eventually collected ₦8.25 million before releasing her on July 3.
Sanusi said police tracking led operatives to Kwan-Kwashe Village in Niger State, where the victim had been held, before six members of the syndicate were arrested in Suleja on July 5.
The suspects were identified as the alleged gang leader, Ifeoma Nnamchi, 35; Peter Rasheed Onwunumah, 40; Olanipekun Anuoluwa, 46; Jemimah Monday, 25; Gabriel Nnamchi, 14; and Stanley Nnamchi, 17.
Police said they recovered the entire ₦8.25 million ransom, two operational vehicles, a cutlass, seven AirPods, several pieces of jewellery suspected to belong to previous victims, five mobile phones and a laptop.
The Commissioner said investigations revealed that Nnamchi and Olanipekun are repeat offenders who were previously arrested by the FCT Police Command in 2022 and 2019 respectively for similar offences.
He said despite their previous arrests, the suspects regrouped and had allegedly operated the syndicate along the Kubwa Expressway, Maitama Federal Housing Road and other parts of the FCT since 2024.
According to Sanusi, the suspects admitted carrying out several “one chance” operations but could not accurately recall all of them.
He said the gang disclosed that, in their most recent operations, they kidnapped and robbed five female victims and extorted a total of ₦12.8 million in ransom.
“The suspects and the recovered exhibits remain in police custody and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations,” the Commissioner said.
In a separate operation, the FCT Police Command arrested four suspects over alleged kidnapping activities and the supply of ammunition and illicit drugs to bandits during clearance operations in Kwali, Abaji and Kuje Area Councils.
Sanusi said one of the suspects, Misbahu Isa, led operatives to recover 42 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition concealed inside his vehicle at Zuba Motor Park.
He alleged that investigations identified Isa as an arms supplier who recently delivered more than 20,000 rounds of ammunition to wanted bandits and kidnappers operating across Niger, Kaduna and Kogi states.
The Commissioner added that raids on identified criminal hotspots across the FCT within the past week resulted in the arrest of 560 suspects and the recovery of locally fabricated firearms, ammunition and illicit substances.
He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to sustaining intelligence-led operations and urged residents to continue providing timely information to support efforts aimed at tackling crime across the Federal Capital Territory.
