By Nkechi Eze
The Nigeria Police Force has recorded a significant breakthrough in the fight against transnational organised crime following the dismantling of a human trafficking and fraudulent exploitation syndicate operating within the Federal Capital Territory and neighbouring communities.
According to an official signed statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Deputy Commissioner of Police Anthony Placid, the operation led to the rescue of 30 foreign nationals and the arrest of 13 suspects linked to the criminal network.
Those arrested include Abdul Ngaki, identified as the principal suspect and syndicate leader, alongside Fatimah Kulibali, Ahmad Kasango, Sidibe Musa, Muhammad Dembele, Saidu Traore, Ali Koulibaly, Abdul Ngeki, Ahmed Sirma, Laya Bando, Aisha Dembele, Abi Togo, and Awa Tesure.
The statement disclosed that investigations commenced following intelligence reports concerning the disappearance of several foreign nationals within Nigeria under suspicious circumstances.
Preliminary findings revealed that the syndicate allegedly targeted vulnerable young persons from West African countries, particularly Mali and Gabon, with false promises of migration opportunities to Europe and lucrative employment in Nigeria.
Victims were reportedly induced to pay processing and transportation fees before being moved to residential locations in Mararaba and Karu areas of Nasarawa State, where they were held under exploitative and restrictive conditions.
Police investigations further established that victims who could not meet additional financial demands were allegedly coerced into participating in staged kidnapping schemes orchestrated by the syndicate. Under the arrangement, victims were forced to contact relatives in their home countries while pretending to have been abducted, thereby compelling family members to remit ransom payments into accounts controlled by the criminal network.
Acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Intelligence Response Team conducted coordinated operations on May 7, 2026, at identified hideouts along Barrister Road, Rugan Dakachi, Nasarawa State. The operation led to the rescue of 30 victims, all identified as Malian nationals, and the arrest of 13 suspects directly connected to the syndicate.
The Nigeria Police Force reaffirmed its commitment to combating human trafficking, transnational organised crime, and all forms of exploitation, assuring members of the public that all persons connected to the criminal network would be brought to justice.
