The Nigeria Police Force has announced the dismantling of a deadly kidnapping syndicate responsible for a series of attacks along the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)-Nasarawa border, saying the operation followed weeks of intelligence gathering and coordinated tactical raids. The Force disclosed the breakthrough in a video shared on its official……
The Nigeria Police Force has announced the dismantling of a deadly kidnapping syndicate responsible for a series of attacks along the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)-Nasarawa border, saying the operation followed weeks of intelligence gathering and coordinated tactical raids.
The Force disclosed the breakthrough in a video shared on its official X handle on Saturday under the caption: “They thought they could hide forever. They were wrong.”
According to the police, the operation, code-named Operation Gbagalape, targeted a gang that had terrorised communities along the FCT-Nasarawa axis through kidnappings and killings.
The Force said: “A deadly kidnapping syndicate terrorised communities along the FCT-Nasarawa axis—until the Nigeria Police Force followed the trail. This is Operation Gbagalape. Watch how the Force Intelligence Department – Special Tactical Squad (FID-STS) dismantled the system.”
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The police traced the investigation to an attack on Badalape community on May 16, 2026, when armed kidnappers invaded several homes, abducted residents and killed others.
Narrating the operation in the video, Commander of the Force Intelligence Department’s Special Tactical Squad (FID-STS), ACP Godfrey Obeide Victor, said the gunmen struck multiple homes after disabling CCTV cameras installed in one of the residences.
“On the 16th of May 2026, in the community of Badalape… a group of kidnappers, five of them, went to houses. In one of the houses, they damaged the front CCTV camera and abducted one Elijah,” he said.
According to him, Elijah was later murdered by the abductors.
“They kidnapped a pastor… the pastor was kidnapped and also he was murdered,” Victor added.
He said a civil servant returning from work was also shot during the attack but survived despite sustaining serious gunshot wounds.
“So there was more than 10 kidnap incidents on that day,” he said.
A relative of one of the victims, who also featured in the video, recounted how the family lost hope after the kidnappers stopped communicating over ransom negotiations.
“We got information that they saw two corpses and we should come and check if those corpses were our relatives, which we confirmed. One of the corpses was my brother and the other one was Pastor Nicholas Akom,” the relative said.
Following the attack, the police said the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, directed the FID-STS to ensure those responsible were brought to justice.
“The IGP mandated us to ensure that this crime must be busted,” Victor said.
He explained that investigators relied on intelligence gathering, area surveillance and digital analysis to identify members of the gang before launching coordinated operations.
According to him, operatives arrested one suspect, whose confession led to the capture of another gang member receiving treatment for a gunshot injury at a hospital.
“With much interview and investigation, they confessed to the crime,” he said.
The police said coordinated operations carried out between June 24 and June 26 in Badalape, Mararaba and Abuja led to the arrest of two suspected gang members identified as Buhari Adamu and Abubakar Saido.
In separate confessional statements shown in the video, the suspects admitted participating in several kidnapping operations.
“I am 25 years old. We kidnapped some people… We have done it about four times around Jikwai and Kashi axis,” Buhari Adamu said.
He claimed he accidentally shot himself in the leg after mishandling a firearm during one operation.
Abubakar said he joined the gang about a year ago after being influenced by friends.
“I started as a result of influence from friends… He told me he has a gun that we should go and work. Nobody forced me,” he said.
He also disclosed that the gang usually demanded between ₦2 million and ₦5 million in ransom from victims’ families.
“We collect two million, three million, four million. We have never collected any amount more than five million,” he confessed.
The police said further investigation led operatives into forest hideouts around Badalape, where they uncovered evidence linking the suspects to the killings.
Victor said the victims were murdered after one of the kidnappers accidentally shot himself while guarding them.
“Angered by that action, the other members… killed all the victims and threw their bodies into a nearby stream,” he said.
The commander also disclosed that investigators traced proceeds of the kidnappings to livestock purchases.
“What they do with it is they buy cows and sheep. So far we have recovered 14 cows and three sheep,” he said.
He added that security operatives were still tracking other members of the syndicate.
“The good thing is that we have profiled them, we know them, and we know how to get them as soon as possible,” he said.
