Police
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force Special Tactical Squad (STS) have arrested seven suspects in connection with the abduction and murder of a female victim in the Kuje area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Commander of the STS, Assistant Commissioner of Police ACP Godfrey Victor, made the announcement during a news conference on Friday in Abuja.
According to Victor, the arrests followed a direct directive from the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Olatunji Disu, to step up operations against violent crimes within the FCT and neighboring states.
The joint operation executed alongside vigilantes and partner security agencies led to the capture of the syndicate members at Rijana community in Kaduna State and Sabo Lugbe in the FCT.
The crackdown followed a report of a violent, commando-style home invasion at Plot B184, Adedayo Adeosun Street, in the Kuchiyako area of Kuje.
During the attack, gunmen abducted Miss Oluwadamilola Adedayo alongside three family members: her mother, Mrs. Nancy Adedayo; her 12-year-old brother, King David; and their housemaid, Jennifer David.
The kidnappers released the mother an hour later to organize a ransom. The housemaid and the 12-year-old boy were brutally assaulted and left unconscious in a forest, though they later regained consciousness and trekked back home.
Despite the family paying a ransom of ₦16.2 million, the gang demanded an additional ₦50 million for Oluwadamilola’s release.
Following an intelligence-driven petition submitted to the I-G on Oct. 15, STS operatives tracked and arrested two core syndicate members in Kaduna State before apprehending five additional co-conspirators in Sabo Lugbe, Abuja.
On Oct. 19, ACP Victor led a tactical team into the gang’s camp inside Tukuba forest in Kuje, where they recovered the decomposing body of Oluwadamilola. Police investigations revealed that the victim was murdered by her captors after courageously resisting an attempt to rape her.
Her remains have since been evacuated to a hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
Police investigations further linked the same criminal gang to the Sept. 24 abduction of a Kuje-based businessman, Mr. John Ali. In that incident, the syndicate collected ₦3 million in cash alongside ₦100,000 worth of mobile recharge cards before releasing him.
Items recovered from the seven suspects include:
4 AK-47 rifles
1 locally made revolver pistol
63 rounds of live ammunition
The mobile phone used to negotiate ransom payments with the victims’ families
ACP Victor assured the public that the suspects would face prosecution upon the conclusion of investigations.
