Kidnappers Arrested After Collecting N24m Ransom for Police Officer, Son in Kaduna

Six suspected kidnappers are in police custody after allegedly collecting a ₦24 million ransom for abducting a police officer and his son in Kaduna State. The arrests came through what police describe as “actionable digital intelligence.”

The victims—CSP Silas Kundi and his son Enoch Silas—were taken from Kujama Town in October 2025. Despite receiving the ransom, the kidnappers held onto their captives until police intervention rescued Enoch. CSP Kundi remains missing as efforts continue to locate him.

The Suspects

Police identified the arrested men as Yusuf Shuaibu (23), Abubakar Bature (19), Yau Murtala, Bello Suleiman (19), Abdul Kareem Nuhu (36), and Ahmed Musa (28). They were picked up April 3 in Kaduna State.

Investigators say Shuaibu is a kidnapping kingpin linked to a syndicate operating under gang leader Kachalla Gwanna, with camps in Rijana Forest. That forest has long been a haven for criminal gangs preying on travelers and rural communities.

A Pattern of Crimes

The same group is suspected in another kidnapping where ₦18 million was collected before victims were rescued through police operations. Police are also hunting fleeing members of the syndicate and working to recover weapons used in the attacks.

The fact that kidnappers collected ransom but didn’t release their victims immediately speaks to the brazenness of these criminal networks. Payment doesn’t guarantee freedom—it just funds the next abduction.

The Ransom Problem

Nigeria has no official policy on ransom payments. Families often pay because they see no alternative. But paying ransoms creates incentives for more kidnappings, trapping communities in cycles of violence.

Police discourage ransom payments and emphasize rescue operations. But when lives are on the line, families will do what they must. The arrested suspects allegedly collected millions—money that likely came from desperate relatives.

Broader Security Context

Kaduna has been a hotspot for kidnapping-for-ransom for years. Forests provide cover for camps, and weak state presence in rural areas lets gangs operate with relative impunity. Arrests like this are victories, but they don’t eliminate the underlying conditions that enable kidnapping.

Until communities feel protected and criminals face consistent prosecution, kidnapping will remain a profitable business. Six arrests matter. But systemic security reform matters more.

Sources: Punch Newspapers, The Whistler