The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has apprehended four suspected members of a support network linked to kidnapping and banditry activities operating from the Paze-Byazhin hills, a key area located along the borders of the FCT, Niger State, and Kaduna State.
The arrests were made following a series of anti-kidnapping operations coordinated by the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, targeting criminal enclaves believed to be assisting armed bandits responsible for abductions and violent attacks across the region.
According to a statement released on Monday by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, the suspects were arrested during a follow-up tactical operation carried out on June 11, 2026, after an earlier rescue and anti-kidnapping mission conducted on June 9 within the Paze-Byazhin axis.
The suspects were identified as Yahaya Abdullahi, Muhammed Yunusa, Hauwa Shafiu, and Shamsudeen Mustapha.
Police disclosed that preliminary findings indicated the suspects were members of an organised criminal network engaged in kidnapping and banditry operations within the FCT and neighbouring states.
During questioning, the suspects reportedly admitted that the hideout functioned as a gathering point where armed bandits met to coordinate movements, exchange intelligence, and organise attacks against selected targets.
The suspects further confessed to supplying logistical support to the criminal groups, including food items, medical aid, illicit substances, and other materials used by bandits operating across nearby forests and border settlements.
In a separate operation supervised by the police commissioner on June 15, officers stormed the identified location and successfully dismantled the criminal camp.
The police demolished makeshift shelters and storage facilities allegedly utilised by the network, thereby disrupting what authorities described as a major operational base for kidnappers and bandits within the area.
The command also revealed that one of the suspects, Hauwa Shafiu, who allegedly worked as a cook and logistics provider for the criminal group and their captives, was pregnant at the time of her arrest.
She has since given birth to a healthy baby while in police custody and is receiving medical care alongside the newborn, according to the statement.
The FCT Police Command stated that investigations remain ongoing, while efforts have been intensified to identify and arrest additional members of the network as part of a broader campaign to dismantle criminal structures operating around the FCT and neighbouring states.
“The investigation is ongoing, and efforts are being intensified to identify and apprehend other members of the network and dismantle the wider criminal structure operating within the region,” the spokesperson added.
