Arrest Surprise: Wanted Kidnapper Nabbed Enroute Hajj at Abuja Airport!

Zango, who lives in the Federal Capital Territory's (FCT) Paikon-Kore neighborhood in Gwagwalada Area Council, was allegedly wanted by security forces for his alleged participation in several kidnapping cases.

A security source told DailyTrust that during pilgrim inspections before their departure to Saudi Arabia, security personnel, specifically the Department of State Services (DSS), apprehended a wanted kidnapper at the hajj camp in Abuja.

According to the security source, Yahaya Zango, the suspected kidnapper, was taken into custody on Sunday.

Zango, who lives in the Federal Capital Territory's (FCT) Paikon-Kore neighborhood in Gwagwalada Area Council, was allegedly wanted by security forces for his alleged participation in several kidnapping cases.

The source said that Zango, who was among a group of Muslim pilgrims from Abuja getting ready to travel to perform the Hajj this year, was arrested when he showed his passport.

According to the source, "the DSS operatives caught him and took him away this afternoon during the screening at the hajj camp in (the) airport."

The suspect's arrest was also confirmed by a top Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board official who asked not to be named.

According to information obtained by DOROTV, the suspect had been evading capture after a manhunt organized by security.

A formal comment about the development has not yet been released by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Nigeria has been battling a number of security risks that differ depending on the area. Since 2009, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a branch of Boko Haram, has been engaged in a bloody insurgency in the Northeast. Millions of people have been displaced, infrastructure has been destroyed, and countless lives have been lost in this battle.

Armed bandits commit widespread kidnappings for ransom, armed robberies, and cattle rustling in the Northwest and sections of the North-Central region. Security personnel find it challenging to track and capture them since they operate from rocky and forested areas.

Abduction has spread throughout the country, impacting not only the North but also the South and the Middle Belt. It targets students, public servants, businesspeople, and regular people as part of a profitable criminal organization.