The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has arrested two suspected bandits and kidnapping kingpins, reportedly responsible for a series of violent crimes across Katsina, Zamfara, Niger, and Kwara states.
Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this in a statement, noting that the breakthrough was achieved during a covert operation on Friday, December 19, 2025, by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID–IRT) in collaboration with the Kwara State Police Command.
Hundeyin said the suspects, Abubakar Usman (alias Siddi), 26, and Shehu Mohammadu (alias Gide), 30, were arrested along the Komen, Masallaci axis in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Abubakar Usman
During the operation, police recovered an AK-47 rifle with a magazine loaded with 20 rounds of live ammunition, a brand-new Honda Ace 125 red motorcycle allegedly purchased with proceeds of ransom payments, and ₦500,000 cash described as unspent ransom money.
Preliminary investigations, according to the statement, revealed that the suspects belong to a notorious gang that has been terrorising communities in parts of Zamfara, Katsina, Niger and Kwara states, and also serve as suppliers of arms and ammunition to other criminal groups.
The Police also noted that Abubakar Usman was recently identified as the individual in a viral video flaunting firearms and large amounts of cash on social media.
Hundeyin added that the suspects are cooperating with investigators to track down other members of the syndicate and recover more weapons.
