In a major breakthrough against transnational crime, operatives of the Scorpion Squad under the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have rescued 23 foreign nationals who were held hostage at a riverside settlement near Abuja.
The victims — 14 men, eight women, and a child — were freed following an intelligence-led raid at Unguwar-Adamu Zone B, Ado-Mararaba, a border community between the FCT and Nasarawa State.
Addressing journalists at the Command Headquarters in Abuja on Friday, the Commissioner of Police, CP Miller G. Dantawaye, said the operation was conducted around 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 22, 2025.
According to Dantawaye, the police acted on credible intelligence indicating that several foreigners had been lured into Nigeria under the guise of lucrative job offers, only to be abducted and held for ransom.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the victims were trafficked through illegal border routes from Mali and confined in two fortified apartments under inhumane conditions,” the CP explained.
He disclosed that the criminal network is led by Abubakar Jigiba, a notorious cross-border kingpin operating across Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria. Jigiba’s younger brother, Sougule Zoubere, is said to manage the recruitment and smuggling of victims from Mali into Nigeria.
The kidnappers reportedly demanded ₦10 million (four million CFA) in ransom per victim, using WhatsApp and other online platforms to communicate with victims’ families.
During the rescue operation, all 23 victims were found unharmed, except for one who sustained a minor ear injury and has been treated at the National Hospital, Abuja.
The police have so far arrested 14 suspects linked to the syndicate. Those in custody 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 apprehend the ringleader, Abubakar Jigiba, and his brother Sougule Zoubere, who are currently at large.
CP Dantawaye commended the Scorpion Squad for the swift and coordinated operation and urged members of the public to remain alert and report suspicious activities via the command’s emergency lines: 08032003913, 08028940883, or CRU: 08107314192.
“This operation underscores our resolve to dismantle criminal networks that exploit and endanger lives across borders,” he added.
