Police Recover ₦6.9m Ransom, Firearms as Kidnappers’ Escape Fails in Nasarawa

An accident in Angwan Mayo, Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, on Monday morning, August 18, 2025, thwarted a gang of suspected kidnappers shortly after they had collected ransom from their victims.

According to reports, the suspects were fleeing in an Opel Vectra—registration number Plateau BLD 566 ST—when the vehicle lost control near a Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) checkpoint and crashed. The two occupants fled immediately, abandoning the car at the scene.

A vigilant VIO officer initially recovered a G3 rifle and cash from the wrecked vehicle and handed them over to the police. The vehicle was towed to the police station where a thorough search yielded more arms and money: one AK-47 rifle, one Type-06 rifle, another G3 rifle, three magazines, and 57 rounds of live ammunition, alongside approximately ₦6.9 million in cash.

Security forces, including the police and military, initiated an immediate manhunt. One of the suspected kidnappers, identified as Mohammed Tahir from Plateau State, was later apprehended after escaping into nearby forested terrain.

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During interrogation, Tahir confessed that the gang comprised seven members and that they had abducted a lawyer in Nyanya, Abuja, from whom the ransom was collected. He and another accomplice were en route to Jos to divide the proceeds before the crash occurred.

Authorities transferred Tahir and all recovered items to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Lafia for further investigation and processing.

The Commissioner of Police in Nasarawa State reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating crime in collaboration with other security agencies and commended the public’s vigilance in helping to thwart the suspects . Efforts continue to locate and arrest the remaining members of the gang.