A suspected kidnapper on the wanted list of security agencies has been arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Hajj camp in Abuja.
The suspect, identified as Yahaya Zango, was apprehended on Sunday during the screening of Muslim pilgrims scheduled to travel for this year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
Zango, a resident of Paikon-Kore in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was reportedly attempting to travel with other intending pilgrims when security personnel flagged and arrested him.
“It happened during the afternoon screening exercise at the Hajj camp. DSS operatives moved in and took him away quietly,” a security source told Daily Trust.
A senior official from the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, who requested anonymity, also confirmed the arrest.
Zango had reportedly been on the run for some time due to his alleged involvement in several kidnapping cases across the FCT and surrounding areas.
As of the time of filing this report, the DSS had not released an official statement regarding the arrest.
Nigeria continues to face a wide range of security challenges. In the Northeast, insurgent groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP have wreaked havoc for over a decade.
Meanwhile, armed bandits in the Northwest and parts of the North-Central region carry out frequent kidnappings, robberies, and cattle rustling.
Kidnapping for ransom has now spread across the country, affecting students, public officials, businesspeople, and ordinary citizens alike.
