The Plateau State Police Command has arrested a 20-year-old man, Auwal Mohammed, who was allegedly caught while delivering food items and supplies to kidnappers operating in the Mazah community of Jos North Local Government Area.
Mohammed was among 15 criminal suspects paraded on Thursday for various offences including kidnapping, armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms, and attempted murder.
Briefing journalists at the Command Headquarters in Jos, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Emmanuel Adesina, said that the suspect is believed to be a member of a kidnapping gang operating between Plateau and Bauchi States.
“On August 3, 2025, at about 12:30pm, detectives from our Anti-Kidnapping Unit arrested Auwal Mohammed, aged 20, from Tilde Fulani, Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State,” the CP stated.
“He was arrested while on a mission to supply food items and other essentials to his gang members in the bush around Mazah community. Items recovered from him include loaves of bread, sachets of Top Tea, powdered custard, glucose, packets of cigarettes, a cutlass, torchlight, and a Tecno Camon phone believed to belong to one of the kidnap victims.”
According to the CP, during interrogation, Mohammed confessed to being a member of a kidnap syndicate and admitted he was sent to restock supplies while the gang awaited ransom negotiations with a victim’s family.
The arrest is part of a wider crackdown on criminal activity in Plateau State, especially with the rise in criminal activities often seen during the final months of the year, commonly known as the “Ember Months.”
In related operations, three other suspected kidnappers – Sunusi Abdullahi, Suleiman Saidu, and Abbas Yusuf – were also arrested for their alleged involvement in kidnapping activities in the Mista-Ali area of Bassa LGA.
The police also rescued a kidnapped victim identified simply as Ebuka. His rescue followed a raid that led to the arrest of four suspects: Joshua Ponzing Nathaniel, Zairuma Sani, Abas Sani, and Nanfa Goni. The suspects were reportedly in possession of a locally fabricated pistol and other dangerous items.
Two more suspects, Inusa Yahaya and Abdulrahman Suleiman, were caught with a locally made revolver rifle, while another individual, Godwin Jacob, was arrested with a locally fabricated pistol.
CP Adesina assured residents that the police are not resting in their efforts to rid the state of criminals. He said that security has been tightened, especially as the festive season approaches – a period when crime rates typically rise.
“To ensure the safety of citizens and visitors to Plateau State, I have directed all Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and heads of tactical teams to embark on Ember Month Surveillance,” Adesina said.
In recent years, Plateau State, like many parts of Northern Nigeria, has witnessed increased criminal activities, particularly kidnapping for ransom. The porous borders between Plateau and Bauchi States have become a route for criminal gangs. The police have continued to step up operations aimed at dismantling such networks and restoring public confidence in the security system.
CP Adesina reiterated the command’s commitment to prosecuting the arrested suspects and called on the judiciary to ensure speedy trials and appropriate punishment to serve as a deterrent to others.
