Date: June 15, 2026 l By Kimberly White
ABUJA, Nigeria — Police authorities in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) say they have arrested four individuals suspected of supporting kidnapping and banditry operations along communities bordering Abuja, including a pregnant woman alleged to have provided logistical assistance to criminal groups.
According to a statement issued by the FCT Police Command on Monday, the arrests followed an anti-kidnapping operation carried out in areas around Paze Hills and the Paze–Byazhin corridor, a zone that connects parts of the Federal Capital Territory with neighboring Kaduna and Niger states. Investigators believe the area had been used as a meeting and support point for armed criminal groups operating across the region.
Police identified the suspects as Yahaya Abdullahi, Muhammed Yunusa, Hauwa Shafiu, and Shamsudeen Mustapha. Authorities allege the group played support roles rather than acting as frontline attackers, with responsibilities that included relaying information and assisting movement logistics for criminal networks.
Officials said preliminary investigations suggest the suspects were linked to a broader network involved in kidnapping and banditry activities affecting the FCT and surrounding states. According to police accounts, those arrested allegedly admitted that the location served as a coordination point where criminal actors exchanged information and planned movements before attacks.
Authorities further alleged that support activities included supplying food, medicine, and other necessities to individuals operating in nearby camps. One of those arrested, Hauwa Shafiu, was described by police as a logistics supplier and cook connected to the network. Police stated that she was pregnant at the time of arrest and later gave birth while in custody, adding that medical care is being provided to both mother and child.
Following the arrests, security personnel reportedly conducted a follow-up operation at the identified location and dismantled temporary structures and storage points believed to have supported the group’s activities. Police said the objective was to disrupt supply chains and weaken operational capacity in the area.
The arrests come as Nigerian authorities continue broader efforts to confront kidnapping, banditry, and armed violence affecting parts of northern and central Nigeria. Security agencies have increasingly emphasized intelligence gathering and disruption of support networks in addition to direct operations against armed groups.
Police said investigations remain ongoing and that additional arrests may follow as authorities attempt to identify other individuals connected to the alleged network. No court determination of guilt has been made at this stage, and the suspects remain subject to due legal process.