In a significant security operation, personnel from the Department of State Services (DSS) detained six individuals suspected of involvement in banditry at Kaduna International Airport.
The group, consisting of three men and three women, was apprehended in the early hours of Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at approximately 3:40 a.m., shortly after arriving on a flight carrying Nigerian pilgrims returning from the 2025 Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
According to a reliable source who spoke with SaharaReporters, the arrests were executed by DSS operatives stationed at the airport as part of heightened security measures.
The suspects were reportedly identified and taken into custody immediately after disembarking from their flight. The source emphasized that intelligence reports had previously linked these individuals to banditry activities plaguing parts of Northern Nigeria, though specific details about their alleged crimes were not disclosed at the time of the report.
While the identities of the six suspects have not yet been made public, the operation underscores the DSS’s ongoing efforts to curb criminal activities, particularly in regions affected by banditry.
The source further confirmed, “At 3:40 a.m. today, DSS personnel apprehended six individuals—three men and three women—at Kaduna Airport upon their return from the Hajj pilgrimage, based on intelligence connecting them to banditry in the North.”
This incident follows a similar high-profile arrest reported by SaharaReporters on May 19, 2025, when DSS operatives detained Sani Galadi, an alleged kidnap kingpin, at the Sultan Abubakar International Airport in Sokoto. Galadi was apprehended at the Hajj terminal during a routine screening process before boarding a flight to Saudi Arabia for the 2025 Hajj.
A source familiar with the operation noted, “He was intercepted at the Hajj terminal during final checks before departure for the holy land.” Galadi is currently under investigation and expected to face charges upon completion of the DSS’s interrogation process.
Commenting on the Sokoto arrest, Faruk Umar, a senior official with the Sokoto State Pilgrims Welfare Agency, clarified that Galadi was not among the pilgrims from Sokoto but hailed from Zamfara State. “I can confirm the arrest, but the suspect is from Zamfara, not Sokoto. Sokoto pilgrims were not scheduled to travel today, while those from Zamfara were,” Umar stated.
He added that the DSS’s screening protocols are part of a collaborative agreement with state pilgrim agencies to enhance security during Hajj operations, ensuring that individuals with criminal affiliations are identified and apprehended.
The recent arrests at Kaduna International Airport reflect the DSS’s proactive approach to tackling insecurity, particularly during high-traffic events such as the return of Hajj pilgrims.
The operation highlights the agency’s reliance on intelligence-driven strategies to target suspects, even in the context of religious pilgrimages. As investigations continue, authorities have yet to release further details about the suspects or their alleged involvement in banditry, but the arrests signal a broader effort to address the persistent security challenges in Northern Nigeria.
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