Suspected Kidnapper Negotiating N20m Ransom Arrested In Taraba

Troops of the 6 Brigade, Nigerian Army, under Sector 3 of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) and Operation Zafin Wuta, have arrested a suspected kidnapper in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State.

Acting on credible intelligence, the troops apprehended the suspect, identified as Umar Musa Geyi, on 22 November 2025 at the Jandei–Kulamu area of Wukari. He was allegedly in the middle of negotiating a N20 million ransom with relatives of an abducted victim.

Army spokesperson, Lieutenant Umar Mohammed, said Geyi had been on the wanted list of security agencies and is believed to be part of a kidnapping syndicate operating around the Wukari axis.

According to Mohammed, preliminary investigations linked the suspect to the abduction of one Alhaji Jano, a Fulani resident of the Jandei–Kulala area, who was kidnapped on 13 November 2025 and remains in captivity.

He said troops arrested Geyi after intercepting him during a phone call in which he allegedly confirmed that the victim was still being held and demanded N20 million for his release.

The Army spokesperson added that the suspect is now in custody and undergoing further interrogation to aid efforts to locate the victim and support ongoing rescue operations.

Commander of the 6 Brigade, Brigadier General Kingsley Chidiebere Uwa, commended the troops for their professionalism and reaffirmed the Brigade’s commitment to dismantling criminal networks across Taraba State.