Three suspects arrested over alleged plot to kidnap wives of two Jos Anglican bishops

The Plateau State Police Command has arrested three suspects over an alleged plot to kidnap the wives of two Anglican bishops in Jos.

The suspects, identified as Rev. Hassan Yunisim Mijah, 42, Sgt. Ezra Sunday of the Nigerian Air Force, and OS Usman Khalid of the Nigerian Navy, were arrested on August 7, 2026, following intelligence received by the police about an alleged kidnapping plot.

The targeted victims were reportedly the wives of Bishop Ephraim Gongden and retired Bishop Benjamin Kwashi, who reside in the Rantya area of Jos South Local Government Area.

According to the police, Mijah allegedly conspired with the two military personnel, who are attached to Sector 1 of Operation ENDURING PEACE, to carry out the planned abduction.

Police operatives from the Vigilance and Criminal Response Unit (VCRU) reportedly launched an operation after receiving the intelligence and arrested the three suspects at about 2:10 p.m.

The suspects allegedly confessed to the crime during interrogation.
Confirming the arrests on Friday during his maiden press briefing in Jos, the Plateau State Commissioner of Police, CP Ayodeji Faniyan, said the suspects remained in police custody while investigations continued.

“As regards the case of attempted kidnap of the wives of the current and former Bishop of Jos, Anglican Communion, we have arrested the suspects and they are currently in our custody.

“We are investigating their involvement in the incident and at the end of the investigation, they will be charged to court if found culpable,” Faniyan said.

The commissioner said police vigilance helped uncover the alleged plot before it could be carried out, assuring residents that the matter would be thoroughly investigated.

Faniyan, who assumed office as the 47th Commissioner of Police in Plateau State on August 11, said his administration would prioritise proactive, intelligence-led and technology-driven policing to combat crime and protect residents.
He also announced plans to strengthen community policing by working with traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organisations, vigilantes and other stakeholders.

The CP warned residents against jungle justice, describing it as a criminal act which could amount to culpable homicide if a suspect dies as a result.

“I wish to state unequivocally that jungle justice is a criminal act, and where it results in the death of a suspect, constitutes culpable homicide,” he said.

Faniyan urged residents to provide timely and credible information to security agencies, stressing that cooperation between the police and the public was essential to improving security across the state.