The identities of three suspected members of the kidnapping gang accused of abducting worshippers during an attack on St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Inoyi-Affa, Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, have emerged following a major security operation that led to their arrest.
The suspects were identified as Aliyu Mohammed, Usman Mohammed and Babuga Usman. However, Babuga Usman was reportedly killed during a gun battle with security operatives while attempts were being made to apprehend members of the syndicate.
The arrests were made during a coordinated operation involving operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Army and other security agencies under Operation UDO KA. The operation was launched in response to the August 2, 2026 attack on the Catholic church, during which worshippers were abducted by armed men.
Security operatives also recovered a significant cache of weapons, ammunition and cash believed to belong to the criminal network. Items recovered included four AK-47 rifles, seven AK-47 magazines, 133 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, $1,000 and ₦785,900.
Earlier, the Nigerian Army had announced the arrest of a suspected commander of a notorious kidnapping syndicate operating in Enugu State. Although the military did not initially disclose the identities of the suspects, the arrest was linked to the church abduction in Udi Local Government Area.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for the 82 Division, Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Olalekan Ayeni, explained that an earlier operation had led to the killing of one member of the gang and the arrest of another suspect.
Ayeni said intelligence obtained from the arrested suspect enabled security operatives to intensify their search for the fleeing commander of the syndicate.
“Acting on the intelligence, troops intensified their manhunt and eventually tracked, intercepted and arrested the syndicate commander as he attempted to flee Enugu State,” Ayeni stated.
According to the Army spokesperson, the arrested suspect subsequently led troops to the gang’s concealed armoury located within the Umuchingu Ujenike Forest in Udi Local Government Area.
“During the follow-up operation, troops recovered four AK-47 rifles, seven AK-47 magazines and 133 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition from the forest hideout,” the Army said.
Preliminary investigations, the military added, suggested that the arrested kingpin had links to several high-profile kidnapping operations carried out across the South-East and parts of the North-Central region.
The security breakthrough came shortly after the rescue of the remaining victims abducted during the church attack, including seminarian Lawrence Igbo and Emmanuel Onwudi. Authorities confirmed that all the victims were recovered alive.
The Enugu State Government announced that every abducted worshipper had been rescued without injury. Governor Peter Mbah, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, disclosed this while presenting the arrested suspects at the DSS office in Enugu on Monday night.
Onyia said the rescued victims identified the arrested men as those involved in their abduction, although he did not publicly disclose their names at the briefing.
He also confirmed that ransom was paid during efforts to secure the victims’ release, but insisted that the payment formed part of a carefully planned security strategy designed to trace and apprehend the kidnappers.
“The kidnapped victims were all recovered and they have been returned safe. None of them lost their lives or were harmed,” Onyia said.
He stressed that the safety of the hostages remained the primary consideration throughout the rescue operation.
“Part of what was used was the ransom amount as bait, as part of our strategy. That was not the only strategy,” he explained.
According to Onyia, all the ransom money that had been paid was later recovered following the arrest of the suspects.
“So yes, ransoms were paid but they have all been recovered completely. They were used strictly as strategy and we have it and nobody was killed,” he said.
The government further disclosed that one of the suspected kidnappers died during an exchange of gunfire with security operatives.
“There was one fatality in this process. It was one of the criminals that died in the process of apprehending them,” Onyia added.
The Enugu State Government warned other criminal groups operating within the state that security agencies would continue aggressive operations against kidnappers and armed gangs.
Similarly, the Nigerian Army reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven operations across the South-East. The military said troops would continue efforts to dismantle criminal networks, recover illegal weapons and restore public confidence in security across the region.
The attack on St. Joseph’s Catholic Church had generated widespread concern within Enugu State and beyond, with religious leaders and residents demanding swift action against the perpetrators. The latest arrests and rescue operation are being viewed by authorities as a significant breakthrough in the ongoing campaign against kidnapping and violent crime in the state.
