Police arrest four alleged kidnap informants, rescue woman chained by brother for over one year

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested four suspected members of a kidnapping support network and rescued a woman who was allegedly chained and confined by her brother for more than one year.

Speaking during a press briefing at the FCT Police Command Headquarters on Monday, Ahmed Sanusi, Commissioner of Police, said the successes were recorded through intelligence-driven operations and the cooperation of residents who provided timely information to security agencies.

According to the police commissioner, the four suspects were arrested during a follow-up operation conducted on June 11, 2026, in the Paze-Byazhin area of the FCT, two days after a major anti-kidnapping and rescue operation led by him in the same community.

The suspects were identified as Yahaya Abdullahi, Muhammed Yunusa, Hauwa Shafiu and Shamsudeen Mustapha.

Sanusi disclosed that investigators believe the suspects are members of a criminal network linked to kidnapping and banditry activities within and around the Federal Capital Territory.

He explained that preliminary investigations revealed that members of the group had embedded themselves within local communities, enabling them to gather intelligence on potential targets and coordinate attacks for criminal gangs operating in the area.

The commissioner further revealed that one of the suspects, Hauwa Shafiu, allegedly served as a logistics supplier and cook for kidnappers and their captives.

According to him, Shafiu was heavily pregnant when she was arrested and subsequently gave birth to a healthy baby while in police custody.

“Both mother and child received adequate medical attention,” Sanusi stated.

During the operation, police recovered four motorcycles, 41 tramadol tablets of different dosages, N320,000 cash, five mobile phones, a Point of Sale (POS) machine and various cooking utensils believed to have been used in support of the criminal network.

The police boss described the arrests as part of the command’s sustained offensive against kidnapping and banditry in the nation’s capital and surrounding communities.

In a separate operation, the command rescued a 36-year-old woman, identified as Grace Aniekuoku, who was allegedly held captive by her brother for over one year and four months.

Sanusi said the police received a distress report on June 12 indicating that the victim, an indigene of Anambra State, had been locked inside a room and restrained with chains by her brother, Chinedu Aniekuoko.

Following the report, detectives from the Katampe Division were immediately deployed to the residence.

The commissioner said officers encountered resistance from the suspect, who allegedly attempted to prevent them from gaining access to the room where his sister was confined.

Despite the obstruction, police officers forced entry into the room and discovered the victim in a severely weakened condition.

According to Sanusi, the woman was found chained, emaciated and living in extremely poor sanitary conditions, surrounded by her own waste.

The suspect was immediately arrested while the victim was rescued and rushed to a hospital, where she is currently receiving treatment.

Further investigations revealed that the victim’s son had allegedly been taken away to an unknown location about two years ago.

Police suspect that the woman was subsequently confined by her brother to prevent her from making inquiries about the whereabouts of her child.

The commissioner said efforts are ongoing to trace and rescue the missing child, while the suspect remains in custody pending the conclusion of investigations.

He added that the suspect would be charged to court after investigations are completed.

Sanusi attributed the successes to intelligence supplied by residents and urged members of the public to continue partnering with law enforcement agencies.

He stressed that security remains a collective responsibility and appealed to residents to provide timely information that could assist the police in preventing crime and protecting lives and property across the Federal Capital Territory.

“The fight against crime cannot be won by one side alone. Together, we can build a safer and more secure Federal Capital Territory,” he said.

Police also displayed exhibits recovered during the operations, including motorcycles, tramadol tablets, cash, phones, a POS machine, cooking utensils, and chains and padlocks allegedly used in the unlawful confinement of the rescued woman.