Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have successfully rescued two pastors and a church member who were abducted by armed bandits earlier this month, while also arresting three suspects involved in arms and ammunition trafficking in a joint operation spanning Niger and Kaduna States.
The victims, Rev. Idi Buhari, Emmanuel Jacob, and Suleiman Adamu were kidnapped on January 9, 2026, in the Gwagwada area of Chikun Local Government Area, Kaduna State.
They were en route through Kugosi to Sarkin Pawa in Niger State to officiate a wedding ceremony when the bandits struck.
The trio was safely recovered alive from a bush hideout during ongoing security operations in Niger State.
On Friday, they were received in Kaduna by Rev. John Joseph Hayab, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory.
Rev. Hayab commended the DSS for the “courageous and timely” intervention, stating that the rescue has brought “tremendous relief” to the victims’ families, the church, and the wider Christian community.
He emphasized that coordinated security efforts and public cooperation can defeat criminal elements, adding, “Criminals thrive where communities are divided.”
In a related breakthrough, DSS operatives from the Niger and Kaduna State Commands jointly arrested three suspects linked to the kidnapping and actively involved in couriering arms and ammunition.
The suspects, identified as Kwalo (who received ₦50,000), Kawu (middleman paid ₦5,000), and Iro Malam Iro (courier paid ₦20,000) operated along the Kwara–Niger–Katsina–Kaduna axis.
The ammunition was concealed in sacks of millet to evade detection at checkpoints. One suspect reportedly collected a consignment at Tegina Motor Park in Niger State, with plans to deliver it to an unidentified recipient in Sabuwa Local Government Area of Katsina State.
One of the arrested claimed he believed he was transporting tantalite (a precious mineral) rather than arms.
Sule Shuaibu (SAN), Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, hailed the operation as proof of the government’s commitment to protecting lives and property under Governor Uba Sani.
He urged citizens to report suspicious activities, stressing that “security is a collective responsibility.”
The successful rescue and arrests underscore intensified efforts by security agencies to combat banditry, kidnapping, and illicit arms proliferation in Nigeria’s North-West and North-Central regions.
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