Troops of the Nigerian Army, working alongside operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), have arrested a suspected kidnapper while collecting a N200,000 ransom from a woman in Nasarawa State.
The suspect, identified as Mukaila Iliyasu, was apprehended at Akwaba in Eggon Local Government Area during a coordinated security operation involving troops of Sector 2, Joint Task Force Operation Whirl Stroke, and DSS personnel.
The arrest followed intelligence reports that Iliyasu had allegedly threatened to abduct a female resident unless she paid N200,000.
In a statement, the Acting Media Information Officer of Operation Whirl Stroke, Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu Zubairu, said the DSS alerted the military to the alleged threat on October 29, leading to a joint operation to track down the suspect and prevent the planned abduction.
According to the statement, a soldier went undercover and posed as the individual assigned to deliver the ransom. The suspect was subsequently arrested while collecting the money, and the security operatives recovered N200,000 believed to be the ransom demanded.
The military described the operation as an intelligence-led intervention that prevented a possible kidnapping, highlighting the importance of collaboration among security agencies in combating crime.
Following his arrest, Iliyasu was handed over to the DSS for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The Force Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke and General Officer Commanding 5 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Moses Kolo Gara, commended the troops and DSS operatives for their professionalism, courage and effective coordination.
Gara urged security personnel to strengthen intelligence sharing and sustain cooperation in tackling kidnapping and other criminal activities across their areas of responsibility.
He further stressed that continued inter-agency collaboration was essential to protecting lives, securing communities and maintaining peace in the region.
