Wanted kidnap suspect nabbed at Abuja hajj camp

A suspected kidnapper, Yahaya Zango, was arrested by security operatives on Sunday at the Abuja Hajj camp during routine screening of intending pilgrims to this year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

Zango, a native of Paikon-Kore in the Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had been on the radar of security agencies for his alleged involvement in a series of kidnapping incidents.

His arrest came during a tense but orderly screening process at the Hajj transit centre, close to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

A security source at the camp, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the suspect attempted to blend in with the crowd of pilgrims when operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) identified and apprehended him.

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“He had queued up like every other pilgrim, presented his international passport, and was about to be cleared when the DSS moved in,” the source disclosed. “They had been tracking him and acted swiftly before he could slip through.”

A senior official at the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, who also confirmed the arrest, explained that security operatives had been on high alert amid reports that some fugitives might attempt to use the Hajj airlift as a cover for escape.

“He was hoping to evade detection under the guise of a pilgrim, but the intelligence on him was solid. The operatives acted with precision,” the official said.

As of press time, the DSS had not released an official statement on the arrest.

However, Zango is believed to have been taken into custody for further interrogation and legal processing.

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