Following series of coordinated raids by police operatives and local vigilance groups between October 3- 5, 2025, targeting kidnap gangs operating in Anchau, Ikara, and Makarfi local government areas, the Kaduna State Police Command said its personnel has arrested 26 suspected kidnappers, recovered four fabricated firearms, several dangerous weapons, and part of a ransom allegedly paid to abductors in different operations across the state.
DSP Mansir Hassan, Kaduna Police Command’s Public Relations Officer said the operation was conducted in collaboration with the Kaduna Vigilance Service, as part of ongoing efforts to rid the state of banditry and kidnapping.
According to the statement, the first breakthrough came on October 5, when patrol teams from the Anchau Division, acting on credible intelligence, stormed a suspected kidnappers’ hideout around 1:15 a.m. and arrested six suspects, including one Jibrin Abubakar, alias Oga, aged 21.
According to the statement, “Investigation revealed that the suspects had on September 22, 2025, conspired to kidnap one Idris Adamu, aged 60, whom they held in captivity for several days before releasing him after collecting a ransom of ₦5 million.”
During the operation, two other suspects, identified as Yunusa Iliya (31) and Malam Iliya (55), both of Gidan Sidi Village in Anchau District, were arrested after a brief gun duel with police officers. Two others managed to escape and are currently being trailed by operatives.
Items recovered from the suspects include two locally fabricated pump-action rifles, five empty cartridges, some amulets, and a cash sum of ₦546,000, believed to be part of the ransom paid by the victim’s family.
In a separate operation on October 3, operatives of the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit apprehended one Habibu Alhaji Ahmadu, popularly known as Munyaye, in Ikara Local Government Area.
The suspect, who was found in possession of two locally made revolver rifles, reportedly confessed to masterminding an earlier armed attack on the residence of a local businessman in the area.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that Ahmadu is a member of a notorious gang terrorizing Ikara and its environs. He operates alongside his accomplices, identified as one Buhari and one Shede, who are currently at large,” the police spokesman added.
Efforts, he said, are ongoing to track down the fleeing accomplices and recover more weapons connected to the gang’s operations.
Another major breakthrough came on October 4, when officers acting on intelligence provided by a recently freed kidnap victim raided suspected kidnappers’ hideouts in Gazara Village, Makarfi Local Government Area.
During the raid, 14 suspects, including one Bello Umar, who had previously been charged to court for kidnapping, were arrested. Police also recovered several cutlasses and other dangerous weapons from the scene.
Hassan said three additional suspects were later picked up at the Toll Gate area in connection with the same criminal network.
“All suspects are currently in custody as investigations continue to uncover their wider network, recover more exhibits, and apprehend other accomplices still at large,” the Command’s spokesman stated.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Rabiu Muhammad, was quoted to have commended the operatives for their professionalism and resilience, describing the operation as “another significant stride” in the state’s war against kidnapping and violent crime.
He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to ensuring that Kaduna remains unsafe for criminals, saying, “We will continue to intensify intelligence-led operations, strengthen collaboration with local communities, and ensure that every perpetrator of violence faces the full weight of the law.”
Muhammad also appealed to residents to continue sharing timely and credible information that could aid ongoing security efforts across the state.
