​Undercover Soldier Nets Suspected Kidnapper Collecting N200,000 Ransom in Nasarawa

A joint operation by the Nigerian Army and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) has foiled a planned abduction in Nasarawa State, leading to the arrest of a suspect caught red-handed collecting a N200,000 ransom.
​The suspect, identified as Mukaila Iliyasu, was apprehended at Akwaba in Eggon Local Government Area during a sting operation conducted by troops of Sector 2, Joint Task Force Operation Whirl Stroke, in collaboration with DSS personnel.
​Intelligence-Led Sting Operation
​The operation was triggered on October 29 after the DSS alerted the military that Iliyasu had threatened to abduct a local female resident unless she paid N200,000.
​To catch the suspect without endangering the victim, security forces set up an undercover trap:
​Undercover Deployment: A soldier went undercover, posing as the designated courier assigned to hand over the ransom payment.
​Red-Handed Arrest: Operatives swooped in as Iliyasu took possession of the money, retrieving the full N200,000 cash on the spot.
​Transfer for Prosecution: Following his arrest, the suspect was handed over to the DSS for further interrogation and prosecution.
​Security Leadership Praises Inter-Agency Synergy
​Confirming the operation in a official statement on Monday, Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu Zubairu, Acting Media Information Officer of Operation Whirl Stroke, described the arrest as a successful intelligence-driven intervention that prevented a violent crime.
​Major General Moses Kolo Gara, Force Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke and General Officer Commanding (GOC) 5 Division of the Nigerian Army, praised the tactical precision and courage shown by the joint team.
​He urged security forces to maintain active intelligence sharing to neutralize kidnapping networks across their areas of responsibility.
​”Continued inter-agency cooperation remains essential to protect lives, safeguard local communities, and maintain peace across the region,” Maj. Gen. Gara stated.