FCT police rescue 23 foreign nationals, bust kidnapping syndicate

FCT police rescue 23 foreign nationals, bust kidnapping syndicate

By: Zagazola Makama

Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have smashed a major kidnapping syndicate and rescued 23 foreign nationals who were being held hostage in Nasarawa State.

Zagazola Makama gathered from security sources that the operation, carried out by the elite Scorpion Squad led by ACP Victor Godfrey, followed a credible digital intelligence report and marked another major breakthrough in the ongoing effort to rid the FCT and its environs of criminal elements.

The sources said the suspects were arrested on Oct. 22, 2025, around 8 p.m., when the Scorpion Squad stormed Agwan Adamu Ruga Fulani, Zone B, River Side, Ado area of Mararaba, Nasarawa State.

According to the sources, 14 suspected kidnappers were apprehended during the raid, while 23 victims comprising 14 men, eight women, and a child were rescued.

Investigations revealed that the victims were foreign nationals mainly Malians who had been lured into Nigeria under the guise of securing employment but were subsequently abducted and held captive in two fortified two-bedroom apartments.

The police added that the breakthrough came after a formal complaint was lodged on Oct. 21, 2025, by Mr. Dembele Talibe, a 55-year-old Malian national and President of the Diaspora Malians Citizens Organization in Nigeria.

Talibe had reported the disappearance of several Malian citizens who, according to him, had been tricked with false job offers before being held for ransom.

“The kidnappers were demanding ransom payments from relatives of the victims using WhatsApp as their primary communication channel,” the police source said.

Upon receiving the report, the Scorpion Squad swiftly deployed digital tracking systems that led to the identification of the suspects’ hideout. The subsequent raid resulted in the rescue of the victims and the arrest of key members of the criminal network.

Among the rescued were one Cameroonian, one Nigerien, and one Burkinabé national. Items recovered from the scene included mobile phones, cooking utensils, mattresses, and other household items believed to have been used by the suspects.

Highest Police authorities confirmed that investigation was ongoing to apprehend the landlord of the property and other fleeing accomplices.

The operation illustrates the FCT Command’s renewed focus on intelligence-led policing, the use of technology in crime detection, and collaboration with local and international stakeholders to combat cross-border criminal networks.

The successful rescue has also drawn commendation from diplomatic circles and human rights advocates, who hailed the effort as a step toward dismantling transnational criminal enterprises operating within Nigeria’s borders.

FCT police rescue 23 foreign nationals, bust kidnapping syndicate