Crime
PHOTOS: Police arrest two suspected kidnappers, recovers over N1m ransom, phones and NIN slip
The Niger State Police Command has arrested two suspected kidnappers and recovered N1.045 million suspected to be a part of ransom payment.
The spokesperson for the command, SP Wasiu Abiodun disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
According to the PPRO, the suspects Aliyu Bodo, and Tukur Ali, were arrested during a joint rescue operation around a forest in Tanangi village via Kasanga in Mashegu Local Government Area.
The operation was conducted on 14 August by joint security teams and local vigilantes following a kidnapping incident in the area.
Abiodun said six victims were rescued during the operation, while a search of the area led to the recovery of two empty AK-47 magazines, 10 Android phones belonging to the victims, five keypad phones, a National Identification Number (NIN) slip, a brown bag and N1,045,200.
“On 17th August, 2026 at about 5:30pm, a case of criminal conspiracy and kidnapping was transferred from the DSS office to the Police Command, and it was referred to the Anti-kidnapping Unit, SCID Minna, for further investigation,” the statement read.
“The report of this case indicated that on 14th August, 2026, joint security teams and local vigilante members, acting on credible information conducted a joint rescue operation around Tanangi village forest via Kasanga, Mashegu LGA following a kidnapping incident in the area and the following suspects were arrested; Aliyu Muhammad Bodo 23yrs of Dutsen-gogo via Babana, N/Bussa and Tukur Hassan Ali, 22yrs of Bode-Saadu, Kwara State.
“During the operation, six victims were rescued from the scene, and while conducting a search, the following items were recovered;
– Two (2) empty AK-47 magazines
– Ten (10) android phones, victims phones
– Five (5) keypad phones
– One NIN slip
– One brown bag
– Cash sum of one million and forty-five thousand, two hundred naira, being proceed of crime as their share of ransom collected.
“In the course of interrogation, the suspects confessed to having conspired with other members of their gang namely; Smallie, Tashaka, Dan-Sarki and Turo, all currently at large; to kidnap ten victims along Tegina – Makera road after which they obtained a ransom of fourteen million naira from the victims.
“They also confessed to possessing one Ak-47 rifle and three pump-action rifles currently in the possession of their accomplices, which they always use to perpetrate the nefarious act.
“While in custody, the suspects were identified by some of the rescued victims during an identification parade in SCID, Minna.
“The suspects are undergoing further interrogation to aid in the arrest of their gang members after which they will be charged to court for prosecution.”
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The Kano Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has commenced an investigation into a suspect, Usaini Ibrahim, arrested with counterfeit currency totaling $212,200 ( Two hundred and Twelve Thousand, Two Hundred United States Dollar).
The commision says the suspect was arrested on September 3, 2026, by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, along Maiduguri Road in Kano following the discovery of the counterfeit currency. The NDLEA subsequently handed over the suspect and the fake currency to the EFCC for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The commission says the formal handover took place at the Kano Directorate of the EFCC, where the Acting Zonal Director, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE1 Friday S. Ebelo, received both the suspect and the exhibits. A representative of the NDLEA, Deputy Superintendent of Narcotics, Yahaya Labaran, while handing over the case, expressed appreciation for the continued strategic collaboration between the two agencies in sanitizing Nigeria’s financial system. NigerianTravel Guide
Ebelo, acknowledging the handover, reiterated the EFCC’s commitment to cleansing the financial ecosystem of counterfeit currencies and fraudulent schemes. He specifically warned members of the public to be wary of “money doubling” scams, which often involves using counterfeit notes as tools to defraud unsuspecting victims.
“Such fake currencies coming into the economy do not paint a good picture of us,” he said.
He called on the public to remain vigilant and avoid falling victim to individuals offering to “double” money and other financial crimes through questionable means.
The suspect, Usaini Ibrahim, is currently in the custody of the EFCC and will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
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The Nigerian Navy intercepted three boat drivers who hid inside the cramped propeller compartment of a merchant vessel in a desperate attempt to leave Nigeria for Germany.
The three suspects, Isaiah Oyetayo, 30; Goddey Ajinde Samson, 26; and Popoola Felix, 28, were arrested on Monday, September 14, 2026, after allegedly sneaking aboard the MV Maersk Calabar at Apapa Port and hiding inside its propeller compartment.
The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft yesterday, September 16, handed them over to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) for further investigation.
The suspects reportedly used a canoe to gain access to the vessel while it was at the port before concealing themselves in the propeller compartment. Their presence was discovered after the ship got underway, prompting the intervention of NNS Beecroft.
According to the Navy, the suspects were intercepted following a tip-off from the Western Regional Control Centre. The ship’s Quick Reaction Team stationed at Tarkwa Bay moved in, intercepted the vessel and safely extracted the men from the compartment.
They were subsequently taken to NNS Beecroft for preliminary investigation and profiling before being handed over to the NIS.
For Popoola, a boat driver and father of four, the decision to risk his life aboard a moving merchant vessel was driven by what he described as the struggle to survive in Nigeria.
He said he was heading to Germany in search of better economic opportunities, explaining that the rising cost of living had made it increasingly difficult to provide for his family.
According to him, his desperation pushed him to consider unconventional means of leaving the country, including using a paddle boat to gain access to the merchant vessel.
Goddey, also a boat driver and married, said he took the risk because he hoped to secure a better future for himself and his family.
He said the desire for improved living conditions persuaded him to embark on the dangerous journey, despite the risks involved in hiding aboard a vessel at sea.
Oyetayo, another boat driver, said his decision was driven by the search for a better life and greater economic opportunities abroad.
The Navy said the incident underscored the dangers associated with unauthorised access to seagoing vessels, warning that such acts could endanger not only those attempting illegal migration but also vessels, crews and other maritime users.
The handover, carried out on behalf of the Commander, NNS Beecroft, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, by the Executive Officer, Captain Olanrewaju Olubunmi, also highlighted continued collaboration among security agencies in tackling illegal migration and strengthening maritime security.
The Navy urged parents, guardians and other authority figures to discourage youths from undertaking dangerous journeys by sea and to sensitise them to the potentially fatal consequences.
It warned that the risks posed by such activities could extend beyond individual migrants to maritime safety and security across the West African sub-region.
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