Footage shows law enforcement apprehending notorious abduction ring, seizing N8.8m in extortion payments in Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has apprehended members of a suspected "one chance" kidnapping and robbery syndicate, and in the process, recovered the N8.8m ransom that was allegedly extorted from a female victim who was abducted in Abuja.

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The command's announcement was made in a statement on Wednesday, and further elaborated upon by the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, during a briefing, where it was revealed that operatives from the tracking unit dismantled the gang after conducting thorough surveillance, resulting in the recovery of the full ransom and the arrest of the suspects.

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According to the police, the victim was abducted after boarding a vehicle operated by the syndicate, which initially demanded a higher ransom before eventually collecting N8.8m from her family and releasing her.

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The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, stated that the command has intensified efforts to eradicate "one chance" crimes, following directives from the Commissioner of Police, in response to the prevalence of such activities within the FCT.

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Adeh explained that the command received a distress call after the victim was abducted, prompting the immediate deployment of the tracking unit to monitor the phone used by the kidnappers to negotiate with the victim's family, which led to the recovery of the N8.8m ransom and the arrest of the suspects.

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The police investigation revealed that the gang deliberately targeted women, with Adeh noting that the suspects confessed to targeting women because they tend not to struggle.

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During the parade of the suspects, one of them admitted that the gang preyed mainly on women, stating "because they are not struggling" when asked why they targeted women.

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The suspect also confessed that the gang had extorted different sums from previous victims, including N500,000, N1.5m, N2m, and N8.8m, which were obtained from the fifth victim.

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Another female suspect confirmed that her boyfriend drove the operational vehicle used in the crimes, responding "he's my man" when asked about the driver's identity.

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The suspect also admitted that one of the two vehicles recovered by the police was specifically used for "one chance" operations, stating "I use one for the one chance".

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The police recovered exhibits from the suspects, including the N8.8m ransom, two vehicles allegedly used for the operations, mobile phones, and other items believed to have been stolen from victims.

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The command stated that investigations are ongoing and the suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of the investigation.