The suspects, according to the command, were arrested during an extensive investigation into cases of kidnapping, criminal conspiracy, alleged threats to abduct and abetment.
They were identified as Amira Yusuf, 23, of Kano State; Abdullahi Garba, 40, of Sokoto State; Ibrahim Mohammed, 37, of Kano State; Maijida Abubakar, 26, also of Kano State; Abdullahi Sani, 40, of Zamfara State; and Bello Shehu, 22, of Sokoto State.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday.
According to the command, preliminary investigation showed that the syndicate allegedly used private vehicles to deceive unsuspecting victims by offering them transportation before drugging and taking them to concealed locations in neighbouring states.
The investigation began following a report received by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Minna, on May 14, 2026.
The report concerned the alleged abduction of a woman and her infant in Suleja on February 7 while she was on her way to the market.
Two days after the incident, the victim’s relatives reportedly received a ransom demand of ₦50 million from an unknown telephone number.
The family was able to raise ₦9.5 million, which was reportedly paid in instalments into three different bank accounts.
Despite the payments, the victim was allegedly not released and the kidnappers reportedly threatened to kill her.
The woman subsequently escaped from captivity but left behind personal belongings, including her mobile phone and ATM card.
Police said the suspects allegedly exploited the abandoned banking information to target another woman who was abducted in Shagari, Sokoto State, while travelling to visit her husband in the Kontagora area of Niger State.
The gang reportedly demanded ₦10.5 million in ransom for the second victim.
Following the report, detectives began analysing the bank accounts used for the ransom transactions, leading to the arrest of Amira Yusuf Aliyu in Kano State on July 2.
During interrogation, police said Amira claimed she had been deceived by Mustapha Yusuf, who was identified as the alleged leader of the syndicate and is currently at large.
She reportedly told investigators that Mustapha had lured her to Sokoto under the pretext of introducing her to his family ahead of a proposed marriage.
According to the police, she later alleged that she was abducted and that her account details were used to demand ransom from her parents.
Further investigation led to the arrest of Abdullahi Garba, also known as Zidane, on July 26 at a residence where Amira was allegedly held following her abduction.
The police said Garba admitted having knowledge of the incident but claimed that Mustapha had also deceived him into believing that Amira was his fiancée.
He reportedly alleged that Mustapha used his phone to communicate with Amira’s parents without his knowledge of the purpose of the calls.
Investigators subsequently arrested Ibrahim Mohammed Kote and Maijida Abubakar Yusuf on August 7 and 10 respectively.
The command said findings revealed that Ibrahim was the brother-in-law of the alleged kingpin and had previously stood as surety for him when Mustapha was arrested and detained by another security agency in Kano.
Maijida, who was identified as Mustapha’s wife, was also allegedly linked to the syndicate.
Police said her bank account was allegedly used to receive ransom payments from several victims.
During interrogation, she reportedly confessed to receiving some of the proceeds and allegedly disclosed that the money was used to purchase a Honda Civic, renovate her room and acquire household items.
Another alleged senior member of the syndicate, Abdullahi Sani, also known as Samaila Atulu, was arrested in Zaria, Kaduna State, on August 19.
The police said assorted charms were recovered from him during a search.
According to the command, Sani confessed to using the charms to allegedly defraud members of the public under the guise of offering spiritual assistance.
He also reportedly admitted that he subsequently collaborated with Mustapha to arrange the kidnapping of some of his clients.
The police said Sani was later identified by one of the victims during an identification parade at the command headquarters as one of the individuals allegedly involved in her abduction alongside her baby in Suleja.
In another development linked to the investigation, Bello Shehu, 22, of Gangam Village, Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State, was arrested over allegations that he provided information about the whereabouts of the second victim to Mustapha.
The police said Bello was acquainted with the alleged gang leader.
The command said six suspects had so far been arrested, while efforts were ongoing to apprehend Mustapha Yusuf and two other alleged members of the syndicate identified as Jafar and Fatima.
The arrested suspects remain in police custody and are undergoing further investigation.
The police said additional evidence is being gathered and that the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of the investigation.
The Niger State Police Command reiterated its commitment to dismantling kidnapping networks and protecting residents across the state.
It urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities or provide credible information that could assist security agencies in preventing kidnappings and other violent crimes.
