The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has announced the arrest of four suspected members of a kidnapping and banditry support network operating around the Paze–Byazhin hills bordering Kaduna, Niger and the FCT.

The arrests followed a series of tactical operations led by the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, as part of ongoing efforts to combat kidnapping and banditry in the territory and neighbouring states.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, the suspects were apprehended during a follow-up operation conducted on June 11, 2026, at an identified hideout in the Paze hills area.

The suspects were identified as Yahaya Abdullahi, Muhammed Yunusa, Hauwa Shafiu and Shamsudeen Mustapha.

The police said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspects were part of a coordinated criminal network allegedly involved in kidnapping and banditry activities within the FCT and adjoining states.

According to the statement, the suspects confessed during interrogation that the location served as a meeting point where armed bandits coordinated movements, exchanged intelligence and planned attacks on targeted communities.

The police further alleged that members of the network provided logistical support to armed groups, including food supplies, medical assistance, illicit drugs and other materials used by criminal elements operating within the area.

In a separate operation carried out on June 15, Commissioner of Police Sanusi reportedly led another team to the location, resulting in the complete dismantling of the hideout.

The command said makeshift structures and storage facilities allegedly used by the criminal network were destroyed, disrupting the group’s operational base.

The police also disclosed that one of the suspects, Hauwa Shafiu, who allegedly served as a logistics supplier and cook for the network and their captives, was pregnant at the time of her arrest.

According to the statement, she has since delivered a baby while in lawful custody and is receiving medical care alongside the newborn.

The FCT Police Command said investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend other members of the criminal network and dismantle related structures operating across the region.

The latest development comes days after a police-led rescue operation in the Paze–Byazhin area resulted in the rescue of kidnapped victims and intensified security operations across communities bordering the Federal Capital Territory, Niger State and Kaduna State.