By Sarah NEGEDU
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has intensified security operations across Abuja’s borders following a string of coordinated actions targeting criminal networks and cross-border threats around the nation’s capital.
The renewed push began last week when the Commissioner of Police, CP Miller Dantawaye, led an operational tour of Bwari, Garam, and adjoining communities bordering Kaduna and Niger States.
The visit is part of efforts to strengthen security presence and tighten surveillance around the territory’s entry and exit corridors.
Accompanied by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations and heads of tactical units, the CP inspected police formations and deployment points, including those around the Nigerian Law School in Bwari and the Garam corridor.
He urged officers to remain alert and responsive to emerging threats, stressing that collaboration with local communities remains vital to sustaining peace.
Dantawaye said during the visit that, “The Command remains steadfast in its resolve to secure all communities within the Federal Capital Territory. We urge residents to remain vigilant and provide timely and credible information to the Police,”
The commissioner also paid courtesy calls on the Emir of Bwari and the Etsu Bwaya, emphasizing community partnership and intelligence sharing as central to the Command’s approach to policing border areas.
Barely two days after the visit, the Command released details of a major intelligence operation where it dismantled a transnational kidnapping and human trafficking syndicate operating between Nigeria and other West African countries.
According to the police, the operation was carried out by the elite Scorpion Squad in Mararaba, a border community between the FCT and Nasarawa State, on October 22.
The sting operation led to the arrest of 14 suspects and the rescue of 23 foreign nationals who were held captive in Angwan Adamu Ruga Fulani Zone B, Ado Mararaba.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the syndicate is coordinated by one Abubakar Jigiba, a transnational criminal kingpin with known residences in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria. His younger brother, Sougule Zoubere, handles the recruitment, kidnapping, and smuggling of victims from Mali into Nigeria,” the Command said.
The victims, comprising fourteen males, eight females, and one child, were reportedly trafficked through illegal border routes over a three-day journey before being confined in two fortified apartments under harsh conditions.
The syndicate demanded four million CFA (about ₦10 million) as ransom for each victim.
Acting on “actionable digital and reconstructive intelligence,” the police stormed the hideout, rescuing all victims unhurt except one, who sustained a minor ear injury and was taken to the National Hospital, Abuja, for medical attention.
With the successful operation in Mararaba and increasing intelligence pointing to criminal activity around border zones, CP Dantawaye on Sunday ordered a massive crackdown on criminal elements across the Territory.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, the Commissioner directed tactical and surveillance teams under the State Criminal Investigation Department, including the Police Mobile Force and the Counter Terrorism Unit, to join forces with divisional formations in a sustained operation that will run through January 2026.
“The special operation is aimed at identifying, dislodging, and apprehending all criminal elements hibernating within the nooks and crannies of the territory.
“Operatives have been directed to dominate identified black spots, criminal hideouts, and vulnerable communities, ensuring the safety and security of residents at all times.”
The CP warned officers to maintain professionalism and integrity, stressing that no lapse or misconduct would be tolerated.
He urged residents to cooperate with police personnel and report suspicious activities through the Command’s emergency lines — 08032003913, 08061581938, and CRU 08107314192.
