The Kebbi Police Command has confirmed the abduction of the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Muhammad Sama’ila-Bagudo, by suspected bandits in Bagudo Local Government Area of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), CSP Nafi’u Abubakar, made the disclosure in a statement issued in Birnin Kebbi on Saturday.
Abubakar said the incident occurred on Friday night at about 8:20 p.m., when a gang of armed men stormed Bagudo town and kidnapped the lawmaker shortly after observing Isha’i prayer on his way home.
He said that the command had since deployed a combined team of police tactical unit, military personnel, and vigilantes to track down the abductors and ensure the safe rescue of the deputy speaker.
“The joint team is currently combing the bandits’ routes and nearby forests with a view to rescuing the lawmaker unhurt and arresting the perpetrators of the dastardly act,” Abubakar said.
He added that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Bello Sani, had reiterated the command’s determination to protect the lives and property of residents across the state.
“The CP has also appealed to members of the public to remain vigilant and continue to support the police and other security agencies to ensure peace and stability in the state,” the PPRO pleaded.
Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command have rescued 23 foreign nationals from captivity in Nasarawa State.
The victims, including 14 men, eight women, and a child, were freed unhurt during a late-night operation carried out by the command’s Scorpion Squad at Angwan Adamu Ruga Fulani Zone B, Riverside, Ado Mararaba, on Tuesday, October 22, 2025.
According to the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, 14 suspects were arrested in connection with the crime following intelligence reports that several foreigners had been lured into Nigeria with fake job offers.
She said the victims were held hostage by the abductors, who demanded ransom payments from their families through WhatsApp and other online platforms.
A preliminary investigation revealed that Abubakar Jigiba, a notorious transnational criminal with links in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria, coordinated the syndicate. His brother, Sougule Zoubere, reportedly handled the recruitment and trafficking of victims from Mali into Nigeria.
“The group demanded four million CFA, about ₦10 million, as ransom for each victim,” Adeh stated.
She added that the victims were trafficked through illegal border routes in a three-day journey and kept under inhumane conditions in two fortified two-bedroom apartments before their rescue.
Those arrested include Bubakari Cisse (40), Karamogo Dembele (25), Musa Kamsoko (23), Amadou Traore (25), Sareba Traore (24), Zoumana Diara (23), Umar Koulibaly (26), Alasgara Sagara (20), Berthe Saidu (23), Abdullahi Napo (32), Isah Goita (26), Lorita Traore (22), Mohammed Siaaibe (23), and Haruna Dembele (37).
