By Joseph Ayomide
In a noteworthy development, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) command of the Nigeria Police Force has made substantial progress in its campaign against the rising tide of kidnappings within the region with the arrest of notorious kidnapper Chinaza Philips.
Confirming the arrest in a statement on Friday, Josephine Adeh, the spokesperson of the FCT Police command, detailed that police operatives from the Kaduna State Police Command apprehended Chinaza Philip on Thursday, January 18, 2024.
The suspect has since been handed over to the FCT Police Command and is now securely held in police custody.
“The FCT Police Command wishes to confirm the arrest of one Chinaza Phillip, a notorious Abuja kidnapper by police operatives of the Kaduna State Police Command on Thursday 18th January 2024.
“The suspect has been handed over to FCT police Command today being Friday 19th January 2024, and currently in police custody,” the statement by Ms Adeh read.
The arrest comes at a critical time when the FCT has experienced a surge in kidnapping incidents, causing heightened concerns at the national level. Recent reports indicate that three individuals were abducted from an estate behind the Nigerian Army Post-Service Housing Scheme in Kurudu Estate, FCT. Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, confirmed the incident, which occurred around 9:00 p.m. on Thursday.
This latest development adds to the string of kidnappings and security challenges in the nation’s capital. The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, convened a meeting with security agencies and stakeholders in an effort to address the prevailing trend.
Recall that the district head of Pandan-Gwari in Bwari area council of the FCT, along with five subjects, was kidnapped on December 26. Their whereabouts remain unknown, with the kidnappers demanding a ransom of N50 million. Subsequent incidents occurred in Kawu community, Bwari area council, where the district head’s son and wife were abducted by armed assailants.
The wave of kidnappings continued with the abduction of six young ladies and their father, Mansoor Al-Kadriyar, from their Bwari home on January 9. Despite efforts to secure their release, including crowdsourcing funds online, the kidnappers escalated their ransom demand from N60 million to N100 million. Tragically, one of the daughters, Nabeeha, a 400-level student of Biological Sciences at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, was killed by the kidnappers when the payment deadline was not met.
These recent incidents underscore the urgent need for enhanced security measures and collaborative efforts to address the escalating challenges posed by kidnapping in the FCT.
