Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command’s Scorpion Squad have recorded a major breakthrough in the fight against kidnapping and human trafficking with the arrest of fourteen (14) suspects and the rescue of twenty-three (23) foreign nationals held captive by a transnational criminal syndicate.
The intelligence-led operation was carried out around 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 22nd October 2025, at Angwan Adamu Ruga Fulani Zone B, Riverside, Ado Mararaba, Nasarawa State.
According to a statement by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, the victims, who were all foreign nationals, were lured into Nigeria under the guise of lucrative job offers but were later held hostage while their abductors demanded ransom from their families through WhatsApp and other online platforms.
Preliminary investigations identified the leader of the syndicate as one Abubakar Jigiba, a notorious transnational criminal kingpin with known operational bases in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria. His brother, Sougule Zoubere, allegedly coordinated the recruitment, kidnapping, and smuggling of victims from Mali into Nigeria, where they were detained until ransom payments were made. The suspects reportedly demanded four million CFA (₦10 million)** per victim.
Further investigation revealed that the victims were trafficked through illegal border routes in a three-day journey and confined in two fortified two-bedroom apartments under inhumane conditions. Acting on actionable digital and reconstructive intelligence, police operatives stormed the hideout, rescuing 23 victims, comprising 14 males, 8 females, and 1 child, all of whom were unhurt except one who sustained a minor ear injury and has been taken to the National Hospital, Abuja, for treatment.
The arrested suspects 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). Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the kingpin, Abubakar Jigiba, and his brother, Sougule Zoubere, who are currently at large.
The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Miller G. Dantawaye, commended the Scorpion Squad for the swift and coordinated operation. He urged residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the Police through the Command’s emergency numbers: 08032003913, 08028940883, or the CRU line 08107314192
