ABUJA — Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested a wanted kidnapping suspect, Yahaya Zango, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, during a routine screening exercise for intending pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia for the 2025 Hajj.
Zango, a resident of Paikon-Kore in the Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was reportedly on the DSS watchlist for his alleged involvement in multiple kidnapping operations within and around the FCT.
The arrest occurred on Saturday during the mandatory security checks for pilgrims at the Hajj camp near the airport. According to security sources, the suspect was intercepted shortly after submitting his travel documents for clearance.
“It was during the screening of intending pilgrims that operatives flagged his identity. He was immediately taken into custody without incident,” a source familiar with the operation confirmed.
The suspect has since been transferred to the DSS headquarters in Abuja for further interrogation and prosecution.
In a related development, DSS operatives also apprehended another suspected kidnapper, identified as Sani Aliyu Galadi, at the Hajj camp in Sokoto. Galadi, who hails from Zamfara State, is said to be linked to several bandit attacks along the Sokoto–Zamfara corridor.
Both arrests are part of heightened intelligence and security operations aimed at preventing criminals from evading justice by exploiting religious pilgrimages and other cross-border movements.
Authorities have assured the public that all necessary security measures are in place to ensure a safe and crime-free Hajj exercise for Nigerian pilgrims.
