The hunt for the criminal network behind the high-profile abduction of Professor Samuel Avengbe Okunsebor, Dean of Agriculture at Nasarawa State University, reached another milestone on Friday night as secret police moved in on a hideout in Nasarawa State.
​Operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested three key members of the kidnapping ring during a late-night raid at a local brothel situated along the busy Mararraban Akunza axis on the Lafia–Makurdi highway.
​The operation took place on Friday night, August 7, 2026, following actionable intelligence tracking the remaining fugitives involved in the July abduction. DSS tactical units swooped into the establishment, taking the suspects by surprise before they could offer resistance.
​According to a security source familiar with the ongoing investigation, the apprehended suspects were identified as: Yakubu Abubakar (alias Black or Starboy), 25, an indigene of the Doemak tribe in Plateau State and Usman Abubakar Mairiga, 37 and Sale Babauro Abubakar, 27.
​”The suspects are key operatives of the syndicate behind the dean’s abduction,” disclosed the security source speaking on condition of anonymity. “They are currently held at the DSS State Command under a valid detention warrant granted by a magistrate’s court while investigations continue.”
​The case dates back to the early hours of Wednesday, July 15, 2026, when heavily armed gunmen ambushed Professor Okunsebor at Mile Uku, a border settlement connecting the Lafia and Nasarawa-Eggon Local Government Areas. The attackers forced the academic into hiding, triggering a swift inter-agency operation.
​Two days after his disappearance, on Friday, July 17, 2026, DSS operatives successfully rescued the professor unharmed. That initial operation led to the immediate arrest of two suspects, including an alleged female accomplice.
This brings a total of 5suspects in DSS custody as security agencies work to dismantle the entire criminal network.
