A heavily pregnant woman who served as a cook and logistics supplier for the criminal gang and their hostages has been arrested alongside four other suspects linked to a kidnapping and banditry network operating on the outskirts of Abuja.
Penpushing reports that the Commissioner of Police Federal Capital Territory Police Command Ahmed Sanusi confirmed this while parading the suspects before journalists in Abuja on Monday.
The commissioner added that the arrests followed a clearance operation at the Byazin area of the FCT on June 11, 2026, during which some bandits were arrested, others were neutralised, and victims were rescued.
Penpushing further reports that Sanusi explained that the woman, identified as Hauwa Shafiu, was heavily pregnant at the time of her arrest but had continued to supply food and logistics to the gang and their captives.
“As a follow-up to that operation, upon further engagements, we stormed a suspected bandits’ and kidnappers’ hideout within the same area and arrested some suspects’, the commissioner stated
“One of the suspects, Shafiu, operates as a logistics supplier and cook for the criminal gang and their hostages. She was heavily pregnant at the time of her arrest, even though her pregnancy did not deter her from continuously committing this heinous crime’, he said the.
Penpushing also reports that Sanusi explained that upon her arrest, he ordered that she be taken to a hospital, where she subsequently gave birth, affirming that as at the time of filing this report the baby is sound and safe, as well as the mother
“The baby is sound and safe. She too is sound. We have provided every medical need while we watch her recuperate,” he said, noting that she remained in the police clinic. Other suspects arrested are Yahaya Abdullahi, Muhammed Yunusa, and Shamsudeen Mustapha’.
Penpushing reports that Sanusi said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were part of a criminal network involved in kidnapping and banditry within and around the Federal Capital Territory(FCT)
The commissioner stated that the suspects had strategically embedded themselves inside a local community located approximately one kilometre from the territory’s boundary.
“The group had infiltrated and integrated into a local community just about one kilometre away from the FCT itself, enabling them to gather intelligence and coordinate repeated attacks on targeted persons and locations’, he said.
Penpushing further reports that the commissioner said exhibits recovered from the suspects included four motorcycles, 31 pieces of 500mg tramadol tablets, 10 pieces of 50mg tramadol tablets, five phones, one POS machine, cooking utensils, and N320,000 cash.
The police boss said the cash was part of the proceeds from a recent kidnapping ransom, stressing that the confession of one of the suspects confessed that N320,000 was his share of a N7 million ransom paid to the gang.
Penpushing also reports that the commissioner stated that a suspect confessed to having dispatched a motorcycle to help two fleeing bandits escape during the June 11, 2026 operation — confirming that two persons who evaded arrest that day had been assisted from within the network.
The police boss disclosed that Mustapha was an active drug supplier to the bandit network, adding that the command, in collaboration with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration, would demolish the identified hideouts of the suspects.
“According to the confession of one of the suspects, the N320,000 was his share of a N7 million ransom paid to the kidnappers. We have an arrangement. Since we have identified their houses, we are moving from here to go and demolish those houses in collaboration with the FCT administration. Any such houses that we continue to identify, we will continue to bring down,” he said.
Penpushing reports that the commissioner declared several bandits wanted whose photographs had been obtained, warning that the command was prepared for confrontation, emphasizing that as the criminals were looking for the police, the police are equally looking for them.
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