A suspected kidnap kingpin, Yahaya Zango, who has reportedly been on the run from law enforcement agencies, has been arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Hajj camp of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The suspect, said to be a resident of the Paikon-Kore community in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was apprehended on Sunday while undergoing screening as part of a group of intending Muslim pilgrims heading to Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj.
A security source, who confirmed the arrest to Daily Trust, said Zango was picked up shortly after presenting his international passport during the routine verification exercise conducted at the camp.
“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 disclosed.
Although details of his alleged crimes were not officially released, Zango is believed to be linked to a series of high-profile kidnappings within the FCT and surrounding areas. He had allegedly evaded arrest for months, prompting a sustained manhunt by security agencies.
An official of the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, who requested anonymity, also confirmed the incident, stating that the arrest caused a brief stir at the camp but did not disrupt the ongoing screening process for other intending pilgrims.
As of the time of filing this report, the DSS has yet to issue an official statement regarding the arrest.
Nigeria continues to grapple with widespread insecurity, with kidnapping for ransom emerging as a lucrative criminal enterprise across various parts of the country.
While insurgency dominates the Northeast, the North-Central and Northwest regions are plagued by armed banditry and abductions.
In recent years, no region has remained untouched by the growing menace of kidnapping, which targets students, government officials, businesspeople, and ordinary citizens.
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