Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 82 Division, operating under Operation UDO KA, have arrested a suspected kidnap kingpin during a security operation in Enugu State.
The suspect was apprehended in the Gariki General Area following an intelligence-driven operation aimed at dismantling a criminal group allegedly responsible for the abduction of two people in Udi Local Government Area on August 2, 2026.
The operation, conducted in collaboration with the State Security Service (SSS), extended to the Umuchingu Ujenike Forest, where troops recovered four AK-47 rifles, seven magazines and 133 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition.
Acting spokesperson for Operation UDO KA, Olabisi Olalekan Ayeni, said the security forces also killed one member of the suspected syndicate and arrested another during the operation.
He said troops subsequently intensified their search for the group’s fleeing commander and eventually intercepted and arrested him while he was attempting to leave Enugu State.
According to the military, the suspect is believed to have been involved in several kidnapping operations across the South-East and North-Central regions.
Security personnel also recovered $1,000, ₦785,900 and other items described as incriminating from the suspect.
The arrest, the military said, followed sustained intelligence-gathering efforts aimed at dismantling the syndicate and curbing kidnapping activities in the region.