Immigration Service Arrests Two Kidnap Suspects, Recovers N34m Cash in Adamawa

The Nigeria Immigration Service, Adamawa State Command, has arrested two suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate and recovered N34 million in cash during an intelligence-led operation.

The suspects, identified as 55-year-old Alhaji Jaye and 34-year-old Buba Bello, were apprehended on September 6, 2026, according to a statement issued by the command.

During preliminary questioning, the suspects reportedly told immigration officials that the money was intended to pay ransom for the release of Buba Bello’s brother.

The Comptroller of Immigration Service, Sani Sule-Jega, disclosed the arrest at a media briefing in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.

According to him, preliminary investigations showed that the suspects claimed the money was meant to pay ransom for their abducted brother.

The circumstances surrounding the alleged kidnapping, including the identity of the person being held and those behind the abduction, were not immediately disclosed by the service.

In a separate operation, the command also intercepted 17 undocumented migrants at a private three-bedroom residence in Rumde Baru, Yola South Local Government Area.

Sule-Jega said preliminary profiling showed that 13 of the migrants were Cameroonian nationals, comprising eight males and five females, while the remaining four were Chadian nationals, all males.

The Comptroller noted a shift in the accommodation pattern of undocumented migrants, particularly their increasing use of private and unregistered apartments instead of conventional lodging facilities such as hotels.

He said the service was intensifying surveillance and intelligence-led operations to identify and address emerging patterns of irregular migration in the state.

Sule-Jega reiterated the command’s commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial integrity, improving migration management and strengthening border security.

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service has directed that the suspects and the recovered cash be handed over to the Adamawa State Command of the Nigeria Police Force for further investigation and necessary action.