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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

VIDEO: Police detail crackdown on deadly FCT-Nasarawa kidnap syndicate

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Outcome reported
  • Police have dismantled a kidnapping syndicate operating along the Federal Capital Territory–Nasarawa axis.
  • The operation, codenamed 'Operation Gbagalape,' led to arrests, the recovery of victims, and evidence.
  • The syndicate was linked to a deadly attack on Badalapé community where at least three people were killed.

The Nigeria Police Force has announced the dismantling of a suspected kidnapping syndicate that terrorized communities along the Federal Capital Territory–Nasarawa axis. The Force Intelligence Department – Special Tactical Squad conducted an operation, codenamed Operation Gbagalape, to track down the criminal network.

I am Assistant Commissioner of Police Godfrey Obeide Victor, Commander, STS FID Abuja. This is a case of banditry and kidnapping.

— Godfrey VictorIntroducing the case details during a police briefing.

This operation resulted in the arrest of suspected syndicate members, the discovery of their hideout, the rescue of victims, and the recovery of evidence related to their criminal activities. Police described the operation as a significant breakthrough against kidnapping in the region.

On the 16th of May 2026, in the community of Badalapé, a border community that borders Nasarawa and the FCT, a group of five kidnappers went to houses.

— Godfrey VictorRecounting the details of the attack on Badalapé community.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Godfrey Victor, Commander of the FID-STS, detailed that the operation was prompted by a deadly attack on the Badalapé community on May 16, 2026. During that attack, armed kidnappers abducted several residents and killed at least three people. Victor stated that the gang vandalized a CCTV camera before abducting one resident, Elijah, who was later murdered. A pastor was also kidnapped and killed, while a civil servant survived a shooting incident.

They broke into the house, damaged the front camera and abducted one Elijah. Elijah was abducted… and it is interesting to know that that person never made it back alive again. So he was murdered.

— Godfrey VictorDescribing the abduction and murder of a victim.

Intelligence gathering, area surveillance, and digital analysis enabled the operatives to identify the gang members. Victor personally led the operation, resulting in the arrest of one suspect who provided information leading to another key member. Coordinated operations between June 24 and June 26 across Badalapé, Mararaba, and Abuja led to the arrest of two suspected syndicate members.

They kidnapped a pastor… the pastor was kidnapped and also he was murdered. One civil servant was equally picked by the kidnappers when he was returning from work. He was shot at, but thank God he survived.

— Godfrey VictorDetailing further victims of the syndicate's attack.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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