The Niger State Police Command has arrested nine individuals in Minna on suspicion of orchestrating a self-kidnapping scheme, as part of an investigation that led to the recovery of 21 SIM cards and 29 SIM registration certificates.

The arrests were announced in a statement issued by the command’s spokesman, SP Wasiu Abiodun.

According to the statement, the investigation began on September 2, 2025, after the Tudun-Wada Division received a report of a suspected kidnapping in the Mandela area of Minna. A follow-up communication from an unfamiliar phone number demanded a ransom of seven million naira.

SP Abiodun said the first arrest occurred on September 3, when Suleiman Dauda was taken into custody. “During interrogation, Suleiman Dauda led investigators to eight other suspects in the Mandela area,” he explained.

The police reported that Suleiman claimed to be engaged in SIM card registration, and that the phone number and handset used to request the ransom had been provided to the purported victim by him.

“During a search, we recovered 21 SIM cards and 29 SIM certificates from Suleiman Dauda,” the statement added.

Further investigation indicated that the suspects, who hail from various locations within and outside Niger State, were operating a fraudulent scheme involving Ponzi-style activities.

Authorities discovered that one of the suspects had conspired with the purported victim to extract ransom from their associates.

“The suspects are now facing charges in court, and investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend additional individuals involved in this scheme,” SP Abiodun said.

The case underscores law enforcement concerns about emerging trends in self-orchestrated kidnappings and the misuse of telecommunications resources for financial fraud in the state.