Security operatives have arrested a wanted kidnap suspect, Yahaya Zango, during a screening exercise at the Hajj camp in Abuja.
A security source confirmed the arrest to Daily Trust on Sunday, May 18, 2025, stating that the suspect was apprehended while undergoing routine checks alongside other pilgrims preparing to travel to Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj.
Zango, a resident of Paikon-Kore in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had been declared wanted over his alleged involvement in multiple kidnapping cases.
According to the source, Zango presented his passport with other intending pilgrims from Abuja when operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) identified and arrested him at the airport Hajj camp.
“It happened this afternoon during the screening. DSS operatives apprehended him and immediately took him into custody,” the source said.
A senior official of the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, who asked not to be named, also confirmed the arrest.
Reports indicate that Zango had been on the run as security agencies intensified efforts to locate and apprehend him. The DSS has not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident as of the time of this report.
