Operatives of the FCT Police Command have arrested four suspects linked to kidnapping and banditry in Abuja. Police Commissioner Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi announced the breakthrough at a press conference on Monday.
The arrests followed a raid on June 11 in the Paze Byazhin area. Sanusi led the operation himself, he confirmed to journalists.
Those nabbed are Yahaya Abdullahi, Muhammed Yunusa, Hauwa Shafiu and Shamsudeen Mustapha. According to the commissioner, preliminary investigations show they're part of a larger criminal network.
Sanusi explained the gang had embedded themselves in local communities. This strategy allowed them to gather intelligence and plan coordinated attacks on targets throughout the FCT, he noted.
One arrested suspect stands out. Hauwa Shafiu was heavily pregnant when police picked her up, the commissioner told reporters.
Her role in the gang was crucial to their operations. She worked as the group's cook and logistics supplier, Sanusi said.
While in police detention, Shafiu went into labor. She delivered a healthy baby, the commissioner confirmed.
Police provided proper medical care to both mother and child. Sanusi stressed that adequate attention was given to them throughout the process.
Officers recovered significant items from the hideout. Four motorcycles, phones, a POS machine and cooking utensils were seized.
Police also found drug tablets at the location. They recovered 31 pieces of 500mg tramadol tablets and ten pieces of 50mg tablets.
Cash amounting to N320,000 was found during the operation. The seizures form part of ongoing investigations into the gang's activities.
Sanusi's operation came weeks after a viral video showed him leading anti-kidnapping efforts in Byazhin. Monday's announcement suggests those initial efforts have yielded concrete results.
