23 foreigners freed from brutal kidnap syndicate in Nasarawa 

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has rescued 23 foreign nationals held captive in Nasarawa State and arrested 14 suspected kidnappers.

According to the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, the operation took place around 8 pm on Tuesday, October 22, 2025, at Angwan Adamu Ruga Fulani Zone B, Riverside, Ado Mararaba. The Scorpion Squad led the raid.

“The operation followed reports that foreigners were lured into Nigeria with promises of lucrative jobs and then held hostage. Their abductors demanded ransom payments via WhatsApp and other online platforms,” SP Adeh said.

Preliminary investigations show that the syndicate was coordinated by Abubakar Jigiba, a transnational criminal with bases in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria. His brother, Sougule Zoubere, managed recruitment, kidnapping, and smuggling of victims from Mali into Nigeria.

The group allegedly demanded four million CFA (around ₦10 million) per victim and confined them in two fortified apartments under harsh conditions.

Of the 23 victims rescued—14 men, eight women, and one child—only one sustained a minor ear injury and was taken to the National Hospital, Abuja.

Those arrested include Bubakari Cisse, Karamogo Dembele, Musa Kamsoko, Amadou Traore, Sareba Traore, Zoumana Diara, Umar Koulibaly, Alasgara Sagara, Berthe Saidu, Abdullahi Napo, Isah Goita, Lorita Traore, Mohammed Siaaibe, and Haruna Dembele.

Efforts are ongoing to capture Jigiba and Zoubere, who remain at large.

Commissioner of Police, CP Miller G. Dantawaye, praised the Scorpion Squad and urged residents to report any suspicious activities.