The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested a pregnant woman and three other suspects over their alleged involvement in kidnapping and banditry operations in parts of Abuja.
The Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Ahmed Mohammed Sanusi, disclosed the arrests during a briefing on Monday, saying the suspects were apprehended during a series of anti-kidnapping operations carried out in Paze-Byazhin, Bwari Area Council.
According to the police chief, the operation began on June 9, 2026, when security operatives launched a coordinated raid targeting criminal elements in the area.
A follow-up operation conducted two days later led to the arrest of additional suspects believed to be connected to a kidnapping network.
The suspects were identified as Yahaya Abdullahi, Muhammed Yunusa, Hauwa Shafiu and Shamsudeen Mustapha.
Sanusi said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspects were members of a criminal group allegedly involved in kidnapping and banditry activities within the FCT and neighbouring communities.
He added that further findings revealed that members of the syndicate had embedded themselves within local communities, enabling them to gather intelligence and coordinate attacks on targeted victims.
The police commissioner disclosed that Hauwa Shafiu, one of the suspects, allegedly served as a logistics supplier and cook for the gang and their captives.
He noted that she was heavily pregnant at the time of her arrest and later gave birth while in police custody.
According to him, both mother and child have received appropriate medical care and are in stable condition.
Items recovered from the suspects include four motorcycles, quantities of tramadol tablets, N320,000 in cash, five mobile phones, a Point-of-Sale machine and various cooking utensils.
Sanusi said investigations were ongoing and assured that the suspects would be prosecuted upon conclusion of the inquiry.