BREAKING: ‘Wanted kidnapper’ arrested at Abuja airport ahead Hajj pilgrimage

Security operatives have apprehended Yahaya Zango, a suspected kidnapper, at the Hajj camp in Abuja during routine pilgrim screenings ahead of departure to Saudi Arabia.

Zango, a resident of Paikon-Kore in Gwagwalada Area Council, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had reportedly been declared wanted by security agencies due to his alleged involvement in multiple kidnapping incidents.

A security source confirmed that DSS operatives arrested Zango on Sunday, identifying him among the intending pilgrims before taking him into custody.

Authorities continue their investigation into the case as concerns over security and criminal activities remain heightened

According to the source, Zango was apprehended after he presented his passport as part of a group of Muslim pilgrims from Abuja preparing to embark on this year’s Hajj pilgrimage.

“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 was quoted as saying.

A senior official from the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, who preferred to remain anonymous, also confirmed the suspect’s arrest.

It was gathered that the suspect had been on the run following a security-led manhunt.

The Department of State Services (DSS) has yet to issue an official statement regarding the development.

Nigeria has been grappling with multiple security threats that vary across its regions. In the Northeast, Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have waged a violent insurgency since 2009. This conflict has caused massive loss of lives, displacement of millions, and destruction of infrastructure.Nigerian fashion

In the Northwest and parts of the North-Central region, armed bandits engage in cattle rustling, armed robbery, and large-scale kidnappings for ransom. They operate from forested and rugged terrain, which makes it difficult for security forces to track and apprehend them.

Kidnapping has become a nationwide problem, affecting not only the North but also the South and Middle Belt. It is used as a lucrative criminal enterprise, targeting students, government officials, businessmen, and ordinary citizens.

Let’s move JAMB’s Oloyede to INEC, by Tonnie Iredia

Nigerian pastor leaves South Africa amid controversy over rape trial acquittal

Countries eligible for visa-free US entry in 2025