FCT Police Recover ₦8.25 Million Ransom, Arrest ‘One Chance’ Gang, 564 Others in Major Crackdown
By Trek Africa Newspaper
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested six members of a notorious “one chance” kidnapping and armed robbery syndicate, recovered ₦8.25m ransom collected from a victim’s family and apprehended four suspected kidnappers and arms suppliers during a series of intelligence-led operations across the territory.
The FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, disclosed this on Tuesday while briefing journalists at the command headquarters in Abuja, saying the operations underscored the command’s determination to ensure that criminal activities do not thrive within the nation’s capital.
Sanusi said the operation began on June 29 after the command received a distress call reporting the abduction of a young woman in the Maitama area of Abuja, adding that the kidnappers later demanded ₦20m ransom from the victim’s family.
According to him, digital tracking by operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit revealed that the victim had been moved to Kwankwashe Village in neighbouring Niger State, where she was held captive until she regained her freedom after her family paid ₦8.25m ransom on July 3.
The police commissioner said operatives continued trailing the suspects despite the victim’s release and arrested six members of the syndicate in Suleja, Niger State, on July 5.
He identified the suspects as Ifeoma Nnamchi, alleged to be the gang leader, Peter Rasheed Onwunumah, Olanipekun Anuoluwa, Jemimah Monday, Gabriel Nnamchi and Stanley Nnamchi, noting that all the suspects are residents of Niger State.
Sanusi said police recovered the entire ₦8.25m ransom, two operational vehicles comprising a Toyota Corolla and a Toyota Camry, a cutlass, seven EarPods, several pieces of jewellery suspected to belong to previous victims, five mobile phones and a laptop from the suspects.
He added that investigations showed that the alleged gang leader and one of her accomplices had previously been arrested by the FCT Police Command in 2022 and 2019 respectively for similar offences, but allegedly returned to criminal activities after regaining their freedom.
The commissioner further disclosed that the syndicate had been operating along the Kubwa Expressway, Maitama Federal Housing Road and other parts of the FCT since 2024, adding that the suspects admitted to kidnapping and robbing at least five female victims and collecting about ₦12.8m in ransom.
In a separate operation, Sanusi said operatives arrested four suspected kidnappers and suppliers of ammunition and illicit drugs during coordinated clearance operations carried out in Kwali, Abaji and Kuje Area Councils, where security teams also dismantled criminal camps hidden inside the Nago Forest.
The suspects were identified as Bello Abdullahi, Shuaibu Iliya, Idris Abubakar and Misbahu Isa. According to the police, Isa allegedly led operatives to Zuba Motor Park where 42 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition concealed inside his Volkswagen Golf car were recovered.
Sanusi alleged that investigations linked Isa to the supply of ammunition to kidnappers operating in Niger, Kaduna and Kogi states, claiming that he recently supplied over 20,000 rounds of ammunition to wanted bandits and kidnappers for ₦3m.
He said other exhibits recovered during the operation included bottles of codeine syrup, cannabis, tramadol tablets and capsules, Exzole tablets, a loaded magazine containing six rounds of live ammunition, cash, clothing, a torchlight and a Tecno mobile phone.
The commissioner also disclosed that intelligence-led raids on identified criminal black spots across the Federal Capital Territory within the past week resulted in the arrest of 560 suspects, while operatives recovered a locally fabricated pistol, a locally made AK-47 rifle and three rounds of 9mm live ammunition.
Sanusi assured residents that the command would sustain its offensive against criminal elements across the FCT and urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to enhance efforts aimed at protecting lives and property.
