DSS Nabs ‘Wanted Kidnappers’ at Abuja and Sokoto Hajj Camps
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested two notorious kidnap suspects, Yahaya Yakubu and Sani Aliyu Galadi, at separate Hajj camps in Abuja and Sokoto, thwarting what appears to be an attempt to flee the country under the guise of participating in the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
Security sources confirmed that both suspects had been on the DSS watchlist for over a year, linked to a string of abductions and armed banditry across Zamfara, Sokoto, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
📍 Arrest Breakdown:
- Yahaya Yakubu:
- Arrested at the Abuja Hajj camp.
- Resident of Paikon-Kore, Gwagwalada Area Council, FCT.
- Accused of coordinating multiple kidnappings in the FCT region.
- Sani Aliyu Galadi a.k.a. “Mai Boxer”:
- Apprehended at the Sokoto Hajj camp, nearly 750 km from Abuja.
- Native of Zamfara State.
- Allegedly responsible for violent attacks and bandit operations along the Sokoto–Zamfara axis.
- Now transferred to DSS headquarters in Abuja for further interrogation.
How They Were Caught:
According to sources, both men attempted to blend in with groups of Muslim pilgrims during routine Hajj screening procedures. However, alert DSS operatives stationed at the camps quickly identified them, verified their identities, and executed swift arrests without incident.
“Yakubu had already submitted his international passport and was in line with other pilgrims when DSS operatives swooped in,” a source recounted.
An official from the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, speaking anonymously, confirmed the arrests took place during official documentation checks.
