A suspected kidnapper identified as Yahaya Zango was arrested on Sunday by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at the hajj camp in Abuja while preparing to join other Muslim pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
According to a security source cited by Daily Trust, Zango, a resident of the Paikon-Kore area in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had been on the radar of security agencies for his alleged role in multiple kidnapping cases.
“It was this afternoon during the screening at the hajj camp in (the) airport when the DSS operatives apprehended him and whisked him away,” the source disclosed.
The suspect was reportedly apprehended shortly after presenting his passport for clearance as part of a pilgrim group from Abuja.
A senior official of the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, who requested anonymity, also confirmed the arrest of the suspect.
The report indicates that Zango had been evading arrest for some time as a manhunt for him had been underway.
His capture marks a significant development in the efforts of security agencies combating the nationwide rise in abductions.
As at the time of filing this report, the DSS had yet to issue an official statement concerning the incident.
Nigeria continues to confront widespread security challenges, ranging from insurgency in the Northeast to rampant kidnapping and banditry in the Northwest and other regions.
Kidnapping, in particular, has become a profitable criminal enterprise affecting citizens across various walks of life, from students and officials to business people and rural residents.
