PROTOCOL

Distinguished members of the press,

I welcome you all to the FCT Police Command Headquarters. Today’s briefing forms part of our ongoing efforts to keep residents of the Federal Capital Territory abreast of our anti-crime operations across the FCT.

The achievements we present today reflect the firm stance of the FCT Police Command in ensuring that crime does not thrive within the Federal Capital Territory.

1. ARREST OF KIDNAPPING/ARMED ROBBERY “ONE CHANCE” SYNDICATE, RECOVERY OF RANSOM AND OTHER EXHIBITS

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. 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 (₦20,000,000) 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 (₦8,250,000) 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:

1. The sum of Eight Million, Two Hundred and fifty Thousand Naira (₦8,250,000), being the ransom collected from the victim’s family.
2. Two fully tinted operational vehicles:- a Toyota Corolla with registration number SMK 559 FV and a Toyota Camry with Reg: No: YAB 712 NH
3. One (1) sharp cutlass.
4. Seven EarPods.
5. Several jewelries suspected to belong to their previous victims.
6. Five (5) phones.
7. 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 (₦12,800,000).

The suspects and the recovered exhibits remain in police custody and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.

2. ARREST OF SUSPECTED KIDNAPPERS AND DRUG SUPPLIERS TO BANDITS; RECOVERY OF EXHIBITS.

The FCT Police Command, in continuation of its efforts to rid the Federal Capital Territory of violent criminals operating within border communities of the FCT and neighboring states, has arrested four (4) suspects for offences relating to kidnapping and the supply of ammunition and illicit substances.

The arrests took place on the 5th of July, 2026, following an ongoing clearance operation in remote communities around Kwali, Abaji and Kuje Area councils, dislodged kidnapper’s hideouts, smoked their caves in Nago forest in Kuje Area Council and arrested four (4) suspects. These operations being carried out by a combined security team led by the FCT Police Command Anti-Kidnapping Unit successfully tracked and arrested the following suspects:

1. Bello Abdullahi
2. Shuaibu Iliya
3. Idris Abubakar
4. Misbahu Isa

During the clearance operation, one of the arrested suspects identified as Misbahu Isa, took police operatives to Zuba motor park where the operatives recovered forty-two (42) live rounds of 7.62mm ammunition concealed inside his Volkswagen Golf saloon vehicle which he uses to operate as a commercial driver. Investigations revealed that Misbahu Isa is an Arms dealer responsible for supplying ammunition to several kidnappers across Niger, Kaduna, and Kogi states. Most recently, he supplied over twenty thousand (20,000) rounds of live ammunition to wanted bandits and kidnappers and received a payment of three-million-naira (N3,000,000) as payment for the deliveries.

Upon their arrest, the following exhibits were recovered from them:

1. Six (6) bottles of codolyn syrup
2. Nine (9) bottles of Piscof Syrup
3. Two bottles of Exiplon Syrup
4. One (1) bottle of NGC Codeine Syrup
5. One hundred and twenty-five wraps of dry leaves suspected to be cannabis sativa
6. Twenty-one (21) tablets of Tramadol 100mg.
7. Seventeen capsules of Tramadol 100mg.
8. One (1) torchlight.
9. One national identity slip belonging to one Sani umar.
10. One bunch of fresh leaves suspected to be cannabis sativa
11. Cash sum of one hundred and seventy thousand naira (N170,000) only
12. One bag of assorted clothes
13. One Tecno handset.
14. Seventy-eight (78) tablets of Exzole
15. One magazine loaded with six (6) rounds of live 7.62mm ammunition.
16. RAID OF IDENTIFIED BLACK-SPOTS, ARREST OF SUSPECTS AND RECOVERY OF EXHIBITS.

The FCT Police Command through intelligence gathering and community policing, has identified and raided several criminal hotspots across the Federal Capital Territory in the past week.

These raid operations were carried out by Divisions across the Command and resulted in the arrest of five hundred and sixty (560) suspects and recovery of illicit drugs, arms and other exhibits.
A detailed breakdown of the exhibits recovered from these raids include:

1. One (1) locally fabricated pistol.
2. One (1) locally fabricated AK-47 rifle.
3. Three live 9mm ammunition.

I wish to state that the FCT Police Command will not rest on its oars until these criminal elements are flushed out of the Federal Capital Territory.

I therefore enjoin members of the public to continue to partner with the Police by providing timely information that will assist in anti-crime operations aimed at safeguarding the lives and property of residents across the FCT.

Credit: CP AHMED MUHAMMED SANUSI, PhD, FCAI, ON THE 7TH DAY OF JULY, 2026.