…arrest four suspected kidnap informants in Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has rescued a 36-year-old woman who was allegedly chained and confined by her brother for over 16 months in Abuja, while also arresting four suspected informants and logistics suppliers linked to kidnapping and banditry operations within the nation’s capital.
FCT Commissioner of Police (CP), Ahmed Sanusi, disclosed this yesterday while parading suspects at the Command Headquarters in Abuja, where he highlighted recent breakthroughs recorded in the fight against crime across the territory.
The rescued woman, identified as Grace Aniekuoku, an indigene of Anambra State, was allegedly held captive under lock and chain by her brother, Chinedu Aniekuoku, for one year and four months before police operatives stormed the premises and secured her freedom.
According to the police commissioner, the Command received a distress report on June 12 indicating that the victim had been unlawfully confined in a room under inhumane conditions.
Sanusi said he immediately deployed detectives from the Katampe Police Division to the location.
“Upon arrival, the suspect became hostile and resisted police officers, refusing them access to the premises where he had confined his sister. The officers, however, gained forceful entry into the room and found the victim chained, severely emaciated and lying in her own waste under deplorable sanitary conditions,” he said.
The police commissioner disclosed that the victim was rescued and rushed to a hospital, where she is currently receiving treatment, while the suspect was arrested and remains in police custody pending prosecution.
Preliminary investigations, the CP said, revealed a disturbing motive behind the confinement.
According to Sanusi, the suspect and others allegedly took away the victim’s son to an unknown destination about two years ago and subsequently confined her to prevent her from demanding answers regarding the child’s whereabouts.
He said efforts were ongoing to locate and rescue the missing child.
In a separate operation targeting kidnapping networks in the FCT, the police arrested four suspects believed to be informants and logistics suppliers for criminal gangs operating in and around Abuja.
The suspects were identified as Yahaya Abdullahi, Muhammed Yunusa, Hauwa Shafiu and Shamsudeen Mustapha.
The arrests followed a follow-up operation conducted on June 11 in the Paze-Byazhin area, two days after a major anti-kidnapping rescue mission personally led by the commissioner.
Sanusi said investigations revealed that the suspects were part of a criminal network involved in kidnapping and banditry activities and had successfully integrated into local communities to gather intelligence and facilitate attacks on targeted individuals and locations.
One of the suspects, Hauwa Shafiu, was allegedly responsible for supplying logistics and preparing meals for kidnappers and their hostages.
The police commissioner disclosed that she was heavily pregnant at the time of her arrest and later gave birth while in police custody.
“Both mother and child received adequate medical attention,” he added.
Items recovered from the suspects included four motorcycles, 41 tablets of tramadol of varying strengths, N320,000 in cash, five mobile phones, a Point-of-Sale (POS) machine, and cooking utensils.
The police also recovered chains and a padlock used in the unlawful confinement of the rescued woman.
Sanusi attributed the successes recorded by the Command to the timely information provided by residents and urged members of the public to continue supporting security agencies with credible intelligence.
“The fight against crime cannot be won by one side alone. Security remains a collective responsibility, and together we can build a safer and more secure Federal Capital Territory,” he said.
The command said investigations into both cases were ongoing and assured residents of its commitment to dismantling criminal networks and protecting vulnerable persons across the FCT.
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