Abubakar Saidu, a suspect arrested over the activities of a kidnapping syndicate operating along the border between the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nasarawa State, has alleged that a fellow gang member, identified as Ardo, was responsible for killing kidnapped victims despite his objections.
Speaking during an interview broadcast on Arise News on Thursday, July 2, 2026, Saidu claimed the victims were murdered by the group’s leader after a disagreement among gang members over the fate of those abducted.
“It was Ardo who took the machete and butchered them. I was telling him not to kill them, but he did not listen to me,” Saidu said.
He alleged that he pleaded with Ardo to spare the victims, but his appeals were ignored. Authorities, however, said the claims have not been independently verified and remain part of the ongoing police investigation.
Security operatives recently paraded several suspected members of the syndicate following intelligence-led operations targeting kidnapping groups in the FCT and neighbouring Nasarawa State. Investigators are continuing efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the victims’ deaths and determine the specific roles allegedly played by each suspect.
