BREAKING NEWS: DSS Arrests Six Suspected Bandits at Kaduna Airport Moments After Return From Hajj
In a dramatic early morning operation, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested six suspected bandits three men and three women at Kaduna International Airport just after they landed from Saudi Arabia, returning from the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage.
The arrests, which took place around 3:40 a.m. on Tuesday, were the result of coordinated intelligence efforts aimed at tracking and intercepting suspected criminal elements exploiting religious travel as a cover to avoid detection.
According to a senior intelligence source who spoke exclusively to SaharaReporters, the suspects had only just disembarked when DSS agents moved in swiftly to detain them on the tarmac. Though the full identities of the suspects have not yet been released, preliminary intelligence had linked all six individuals to banditry activities in Northern Nigeria, particularly in the Northwest.
“Yes, they were arrested immediately after arriving from Mecca,” the source revealed. “Their names had been flagged based on prior surveillance. All six are now in DSS custody and undergoing interrogation.”
This latest arrest adds to growing concerns about the infiltration of religious and civil travel systems by criminal networks. It follows a May 19, 2025 incident, where another high-profile suspect — an alleged kidnapping kingpin, Sani Galadi — was apprehended at the Sultan Abubakar International Airport in Sokoto while preparing to board a flight for Hajj.
In that case, Galadi was intercepted during routine screening at the Hajj terminal. Authorities later confirmed he was not part of the Sokoto pilgrims’ delegation, but instead from Zamfara State, one of the states most impacted by violent banditry.
“The DSS is working closely with state pilgrim agencies to ensure that criminal elements do not exploit religious gatherings or operations as safe havens,” said Faruk Umar, a senior official with the Sokoto State Pilgrims Welfare Agency, following Galadi’s arrest.
Security analysts say these arrests demonstrate the DSS’s increasing reliance on pre-emptive intelligence, surveillance, and inter-agency coordination, especially around high-profile public events and travel seasons like Hajj.
As investigations continue, the public has been urged to remain vigilant and support law enforcement efforts to combat the menace of banditry and terrorism threatening the nation’s peace and security.
The DSS has yet to release an official statement, but sources suggest that formal charges will be filed once interrogations are complete and links to criminal activities are confirmed.
