Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested six suspected members of a kidnapping and “one chance” armed robbery syndicate allegedly led by a woman, recovering N8.25 million ransom paid for the release of a female victim abducted in Abuja.
The FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, disclosed this on Tuesday during a press briefing in Abuja on the command’s ongoing efforts to combat violent crimes in the territory.
Sanusi said the operation was carried out by detectives from the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) following a distress call received on June 29, 2026, over the abduction of a young woman in the Maitama area of the FCT.
He said the suspects initially demanded N20 million ransom from the victim’s family but later accepted N8.25 million before releasing her on July 3.
According to him, digital tracking by the police revealed that the victim was taken outside the FCT and held at Kwan-Kwashe Village in neighbouring Niger State.
The commissioner said operatives sustained surveillance after the victim’s release, leading to the arrest of six members of the syndicate on July 5 in Suleja, Niger State.
The suspects were identified as Ifeoma Nnamchi, 35, alleged to be the gang leader; Peter Rasheed Onwunumah, 40; Olanipekun Anuoluwa, 46; Jemimah Monday, 25; Gabriel Nnamchi, 14; and Stanley Nnamchi, 17.
Sanusi said items recovered from the suspects included the N8.25 million ransom, two vehicles — a Toyota Corolla and a Toyota Camry — a cutlass, seven pairs of AirPods, suspected stolen jewellery, five mobile phones and a laptop.
“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,” he said.
The CP said investigations revealed that the gang had been operating along Kubwa Expressway, Maitama Federal Housing Road and other locations within the FCT since 2024.
He added that the alleged leader of the gang, Nnamchi, and another suspect, Anuoluwa, were repeat offenders who had previously been arrested by the FCT Police Command in 2022 and 2019 respectively for similar offences.
“Despite their previous arrests, both suspects returned to constitute this syndicate, which has been operating along major routes within the FCT,” Sanusi said.
He disclosed that preliminary investigations showed the gang had carried out several “one chance” operations and had recently kidnapped and robbed five female victims, allegedly collecting ransom totalling N12.8 million.
The police commissioner assured residents that the command would continue to deploy intelligence-led operations to dismantle criminal networks operating within and around the nation’s capital.
He said the suspects and recovered exhibits remained in police custody and would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations.
