Wanted suspected kidnapper captured while negotiating N20m ransom

A man suspected of belonging to a kidnapping ring has been arrested by troops of the 6 Brigade, Nigerian Army, under Sector 3 of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) and Operation Zafin Wuta in Taraba State.

The suspect, identified as Umar Geyi, was picked up on 22 November 2025 in the Jandei–Kulamu area of Wukari after troops acting on intelligence monitored him allegedly negotiating a N20 million ransom with relatives of an abducted victim.

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

Mohammed explained that preliminary findings linked him to the kidnapping of one Alhaji Jano, a Fulani man from the Jandei–Kulala area who was abducted on 13 November 2025. He confirmed that the victim is still being held.

According to him, soldiers intercepted the suspect during a phone call in which he allegedly reaffirmed that the kidnapped victim remained in captivity and insisted on a N20 million ransom before release.

He added that the suspect is now in military custody and is being interrogated to aid rescue operations and help locate the victim.

Brigadier General Kingsley Chidiebere Uwa, Commander of the 6 Brigade, praised the troops for their conduct and restated the Brigade’s resolve to dismantle criminal groups across Taraba State.