A major anti-kidnapping operation in Ado-Mararaba, Nasarawa State, has led to the rescue of 23 foreign nationals and the arrest of 14 suspected kidnappers, in what authorities describe as a breakthrough against transnational human trafficking and kidnapping rings operating across West Africa.
The raid, carried out by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command’s Scorpion Squad, took place at Angwan Adamu Ruga Fulani Zone B, a riverside settlement on the outskirts of Ado-Mararaba, a border community between Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Residents of the area told reporters that the community had long been known for suspicious activities, with unfamiliar faces frequently seen moving in and out of secluded compounds near the riverbank.
“We didn’t know what was happening inside those houses,” said a local vigilante member who assisted police in the operation.
“We thought they were just foreigners doing business. Nobody knew they were being kept as hostages,” he added.
According to SP Josephine Adeh, spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, the victims, mostly from Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana, were lured into Nigeria with promises of high-paying jobs, only to be kidnapped and held for ransom in Nasarawa.
The syndicate, police say, was coordinated by a notorious international criminal identified as Abubakar Jigiba, who operates across Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria.
His brother, Sougule Zoubere, allegedly handled the recruitment and smuggling of victims through illegal border routes before transferring them to the hideout in Ado-Mararaba.
Investigations revealed that the gang demanded ₦10 million (four million CFA) for each captive, confining them in two fortified apartments under inhumane conditions.
Acting on intelligence, the Scorpion Squad stormed the compound, rescuing all 23 victims — including 14 men, eight women, and a child. Only one victim sustained a minor ear injury and was taken to the National Hospital, Abuja, for treatment.
The Nasarawa State Police Command, in collaboration with local vigilantes, assisted in securing the area and transporting the victims for profiling and medical checks.
The suspects arrested include: Bubakari Cisse (40), Karamogo Dembele (25), Musa Kamsoko (23), Amadou Traore (25), Sareba Traore (24), Zoumana Diara (23), Umar Koulibaly (26), Alasgara Sagara (20), Berthe Saidu (23), Abdullahi Napo (32), Isah Goita (26), Lorita Traore (22), Mohammed Siaaibe (23), and Haruna Dembele (37).
CP Miller G. Dantawaye, the FCT Commissioner of Police, commended the inter-agency collaboration that made the operation successful, describing it as a warning to criminal groups exploiting border communities.
Efforts are ongoing to apprehend Jigiba and Zoubere, who are currently on the run.
