Nasarawa State Police Command has foiled a planned abduction and arrested four suspected kidnappers who allegedly plotted to kill their victim after collecting ransom.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Ramhan Nansel, who disclosed this in a statement yesterday on behalf of the commissioner of police, Shetima Jauro Muhammad, said two suspects were also arrested in connection with a cult-related killing in Lafia.
Nansel said operatives of the State Intelligence Department (SID), Lafia, received credible intelligence on a criminal conspiracy to abduct one Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, popularly known as Alhaji Na’iye.
“Following a discreet investigation, four suspects – all residents of Adudu District in Obi local government area – were arrested,” Nansel said.
He identified the suspects as Yahaya Musa, Likita Adamu, Riga Abdullahi and Saidu Alhaji Gari.
Nansel explained that two of the suspects were arrested on 19th September, while the third and fourth suspects were picked up on September 22 and 23, respectively.
According to Nansel, during interrogation, the suspects allegedly confessed to their involvement in the planned abduction and further disclosed that they had planned to kill the victim after collecting the ransom.
He said the suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Lafia, for further investigation and prosecution.
In a separate development, the command said its operatives arrested two suspects over a cult-related killing behind the Eji-World area of Lafia.
According to the police statement, the incident occurred on September 24, 2026 at about 6:00am, when the divisional police officer, Ombi 1 Division, Lafia, led a team to the scene following a distress call.
Nansel said at the scene, the police found one Venus, surname unknown, aged 26, an indigene of Benue State, lying in a pool of blood.
He said the victim was rushed to the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Lafia, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor, adding that his corpse had been deposited at the hospital’s mortuary for autopsy.
Preliminary investigation, according to him, revealed that the assailants had gone in search of the victim’s friend, one Joseph Friday Oluyemi of Maisoti Street, Lafia, who later reported to the police that he had received threats from suspected cult members.
Nansel said two suspects – Friday Joshua and ThankGod Auta Vincent – have been arrested in connection with the murder, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing suspects.
