Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have arrested six suspected members of a kidnapping and “one chance” armed robbery syndicate and recovered N8.25 million allegedly paid as ransom for the release of a female victim abducted in Abuja.
The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, disclosed this during a press briefing on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 as part of the ongoing efforts to keep residents of the Federal Capital Territory abreast of the command’s anti-crime operations.
According to CP Sanusi, the operation was carried out by detectives attached to the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) following a distress report received on June 29, 2026 that a young woman had been abducted in the Maitama area of the FCT. People& Society
Sanusi said the kidnappers initially demanded N20 million but later accepted N8.25 million before releasing the victim on July 3.
Investigations and digital tracking reportedly traced the victim’s captivity to Kwan-Kwashe Village in neighbouring Niger State.
Operatives sustained surveillance after the victim regained freedom, leading to the arrest of six suspects on July 5 in Suleja, Niger State.
The suspects were identified as Ifeoma Nnamchi, 35, believed to be the gang leader; Peter Rasheed Onwunumah, 40; Olanipekun Anuoluwa, 46; Jemimah Monday, 25; Gabriel Nnamchi, 14; and Stanley Nnamchi, 17.
Items recovered during the operation included the N8.25 million ransom, two vehicles—a Toyota Corolla and a Toyota Camry—a cutlass, seven pairs of AirPods, assorted jewellery suspected to have been stolen from previous victims, five mobile phones and a laptop.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspected gang leader, Ifeoma Nnamchi, and Olanipekun Anuoluwa had previously been arrested by the FCT Police Command in 2022 and 2019, respectively, over similar offences.
“For those who were present at or listened to, my maiden press briefing upon assuming duty as the Commissioner of Police of the FCT Police Command, you will recall that I stated that I have a verifiable track record and that, wherever I serve, crime does not thrive,” the CP stated.
“In keeping with that commitment, I deployed a section of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit’s Tracking team on the 29th of June, 2026, following a distress call reporting the suspected kidnapping of a young lady in Maitama area of the FCT.
“The suspected kidnappers subsequently contacted the victim’s family and demanded a ransom of Twenty Million Naira (N20,000,000) for her release.
“Unknown to the suspects, we were already hot on their trail. Our digital tracking revealed that they had taken the victim out of the FCT and kept her in Kwan-kwashe Village, a remote settlement in Niger State.
“The suspects eventually collected a ransom of Eight Million, two Hundred and fifty Thousand Naira (N8,250,000) from the victim’s family before releasing her on the 3rd of July, 2026.
“This development did not deter us. We remained on the trail of the suspects until the 5th of July, 2026, when our operatives arrested six (6) members of the gang in Suleja area of Niger State, two of which are children of the gang leader.
The suspects are: 1. Ifeoma Nnamchi, 35 years old – Who is the gang leader 2. Peter Rasheed Onwunumah, 40 years old. 3. Olanipekun Anuoluwa, 46 years old. 4. Jemimah Monday, 25 years old. 5. Gabriel Nnamchi, 14 yrs. 6. Stanley Nnamchi, 17 yrs. All are residents of Niger State.
“Upon their arrest, the following exhibits were recovered from them: the sum of Eight Million, Two Hundred and fifty Thousand Naira (N8,250,000), being the ransom collected from the victim’s family, two fully tinted operational vehicles:- a Toyota Corolla with registration number SMK 559 FV and a Toyota Camry with Reg: No: YAB 712 NH, one (1) sharp cutlass, seven ear pods, several jewelries suspected to belong to their previous victims, five (5) phones and one (1) laptop.
“Further investigations revealed that the gang leader, Ifeoma Nnamchi, and the third accomplice, Olanipekun Anuoluwa are both repeat offenders who were previously arrested by the FCT Police Command in 2022 and 2019 respectively for the same offence.
“Despite her previous arrest, both suspects returned to constitute this syndicate, which has been operating along Kubwa Expressway, Maitama Federal Housing Road, and other locations within the FCT since 2024.
“The syndicate revealed that they have carried out several other “one chance” operations which they cannot accurately recall.
“But in their most recent operations, they have successfully kidnapped and robbed five (5) separate female victims and extorted ransoms amounting to Twelve Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N12,800,000).
“The suspects and the recovered exhibits remain in police custody and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.”
Troops of the Joint Task Force North-West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have rescued a kidnap victim in Kaduna State and foiled a terrorist attack in Sokoto State.
The military disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Lt. Col. Aliyu Danja.
According to Danja, troops of Sector 1 rescued a 43-year-old man abducted around Awon Community in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Thursday.
He said the troops responded to a distress call and immediately moved into the area, forcing the terrorists to abandon their victim and flee into the surrounding bushes.
“The troops swiftly moved into the area and pursued the terrorists into the surrounding bushes, compelling them to abandon their captive and flee,” Danja said.
He added that the rescued victim was subsequently reunited with his family.
In a separate operation on Friday, troops of Sector 2, working with local security personnel, foiled an attack on Kwaren Gamba Village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
Danja said the troops engaged the terrorists and forced them to withdraw from the community in disarray.
He stated that troops subsequently pursued the fleeing terrorists, during which one terrorist was neutralised.
According to him, the troops also recovered two mobile phones, cash, an ATM card, recharge cards and other items from the scene.
Danja said the latest operations demonstrated the military’s continued efforts to deny terrorists freedom of action across the North-West.
“The Joint Task Force North-West Operation FANSAN YAMMA remains resolute in sustaining the tempo of ongoing operations to deny terrorists freedom of action and create a safer environment for communities across the Joint Operations Area,” he said.
He assured residents that troops would continue to respond decisively to emerging security threats.
“The Theatre Command reassures the public that troops will continue to respond decisively to emerging threats,” he added.
The military spokesman also urged residents to remain vigilant and provide timely and credible information to security forces to support ongoing operations.
He said such cooperation remained critical to efforts to restore lasting peace and security across the region.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of one George Buchi Nwabueze and the suspension of three permanent secretaries over the discovery of another fake agency operating within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
They include M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah.
Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN disclosed this to State House correspondents on Friday after briefing the President for the second time in two days, following an earlier meeting on Thursday.
Aliyu said the newly uncovered fake office, operating under the name “National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office,” had been illegally allocated office space within the premises of the OSGF, contrary to extant laws and without presidential authorisation.
He said, “Upon further briefing by ICPC to Mr President on the ongoing investigations into the fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and procedural weaknesses in the public service, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has uncovered another fake agency and office operating under the name National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, which has been illegally allocated office space within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,” Aliyu said.
He said the discovery emerged in the course of the commission’s broader investigation, as earlier directed by President Tinubu, and identified the promoter of the fake office as one Prince George Buchi Nwabueze, who was found to be operating under multiple aliases.
“The fake agency office, National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office, was promoted by one George Buchi Nwabueze, with active suspected collaborators in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, contrary to extant laws and without authorisation of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The promoter was discovered to also operate under four other variations of his name: George Nathan, George Nathan Nwabueze, Honourable George Buchi Nwabueze, Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and George Nwabueze,” Aliyu said.
He revealed that the ICPC had engaged the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to ascertain vital information relating to the fake office under investigation, and had comprehensively briefed the President on the new developments.
“I have briefed Mr President comprehensively on these new developments. ICPC will continue with its investigations accordingly,” he said.
Aliyu said following the discovery, “Mr President has directed as follows: the immediate arrest of Prince George Buchi Nwabueze; the immediate suspension of the following permanent secretaries; M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah,” he said.
Friday’s development is the latest in a scandal that began with the exposure of the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, whose self-styled Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, is currently facing prosecution on charges of forgery and impersonation.
The ICPC’s interim report, submitted to the President on August 6 after a 30-day investigation, had earlier disclosed the existence of two other fictitious bodies, the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership.
The National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office is the fourth fake agency uncovered after the PFIFC scandal since early April.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has withdrawn the charges against a final-year student of Bayero University, Kano, Maryam Shehu, and another Nigerian, Abubakar Abdulhamad, who were arraigned for alleged cybercrime and peddling malicious information against the commission.
The two defendants were arraigned separately before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.
The commission had accused Shehu of publishing a social media post on June 21 alleging that EFCC officials assaulted one Ahmed Uthman on the instruction of a zonal director who allegedly collected N20m from one Usman Abbas.
The EFCC said the publication was intended to tarnish its reputation and constituted an offence under Section 24(2)(c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024.
Abdulhamad was also charged under the same provision over a separate allegation.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.
However, the EFCC in a statement on Friday by its spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said the Executive Chairman of the commission, Ola Olukoyede, directed the withdrawal of the charges following appeals for leniency and an apology from Shehu’s father, as well as pleas from well-meaning Nigerians
Oyewale said although the commission considered the alleged cyberstalking to be contrary to the Cybercrimes Act, the chairman was moved by the appeals and apologies presented on behalf of the defendants.
The statement read, “ The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede has compassionately ordered the withdrawal of charges preferred against Maryam Isah Shehu and Abubakar Shuraim Abdulhamad, who were, on Thurday August 21, 2026 arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja , for alleged cybercrime and peddling malicious information against the Commission.
“While the Commission considered the arraignment of the two defendants for cyber stalking to be contrary to Section 24(2) (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended) 2024 and punishable under Section 24 (2) (c) (ii) of the same Act, the Executive Chairman, nonetheless, considered the passionate pleas and apologies of Shehu’s father and appeals of well-meaning Nigerians for leniency.
“To this end, he has directed that charges filed against the two young Nigerians be dropped and warned that the EFCC would no longer tolerate any wilful attack on its image in any form, medium or platform.
“The EFCC’s boss assured Nigerians that the Commission would continue to function in line with its assigned mandate and in the best interests of the nation”.
